Dr Phil Is a Loving Father to 2 Look-Alike Sons Who He Says Are 'Remarkable' Men

Dr. Phil McGraw is a proud and doting father to Jordan and Jay. While he treasures having raised his sons to be good, responsible adults, his childhood, on the other hand, was traumatic.

Dr. Phil McGraw had a tumultuous childhood living with his father, who was an alcoholic. He got candid about growing up in an abusive household during an appearance on “The Coach Mike Podcast" in February 2020 and revealed:

“We moved around a lot. We moved every two to three years because my dad was an alcoholic.”

Dr. Phil Was Exposed to Violence

Dr. Phil shared that to avoid his father; he entered the house through his bedroom window so that he did not have to go through the home:

"It was chaos. Yelling, screaming, violence, domestic violence."

Irrespective of the toxic environment he was exposed to growing up, he still loved his father, Dr. Joe McGraw, a psychologist who died in the '90s from an incurable and inoperable heart issue.

In June 2009, the best-selling author divulged he always experiences Father’s Day with mixed emotions because the day is of deep reflection:

"It is a painful reminder that my father is gone. If you've followed my career, then you'll probably know that I'm constantly quoting my dad, who was unparalleled at throwing out homespun wisdom."

The 72-year-old admitted that he would have loved for his father to have witnessed his success, the books he has written, and the television shows he has had.

“I feel cheated that I didn’t have the opportunity to share that with him. He would have been a proud pop, to say the least,” said Dr. Phil.

The television personality revealed his dad was also a loving grandfather to his two kids, sons Jordan McGraw and Jay McGraw, saying:

"What saddens me most about the loss of my father is that I didn't get to share with him the last 20 years of my family's life. He loved Jay and Jordan as only a grandfather can love, and they, in turn, love their Poppy.'"

He added that Dr. Joe took pride in each new development in his grandsons' lives and has a special place in their hearts. According to him, he would have enjoyed watching them grow up, but it was not meant to be in this case.

Dr. Phil became a great father to his children, whom he shares with Robin McGraw, 69. The couple has been married for over forty years after tying the knot in 1976.

Jay McGraw

The duo welcomed their eldest child Jay, in September 1979, who, like his famous dad, paved a successful career like his. Jay is a writer and a television producer.

Per IMDb, the 43-year-old worked as an executive producer on his father's several primetime specials and has produced for "Face of Truth" and "Bull."

According to his bio on Dr. Phil's website, so far, he has authored six books including, "Closing the Gap" and "Life Strategies for Teens."

Jay has been married to his wife Erica Dahm since 2006, and the pair are parents to two kids, Avery Elizabeth McGraw and London Philip McGraw.

Jordan McGraw

Robin and Dr. Phil’s youngest son is Jordan, born in October 1986, and like his older brother, he is also accomplished in his own right even though he chose a different path.

Rather than getting into the TV business, he pursued a music career. Jordan released his first single in 2019 called “Flexible,” followed by a three-song self-titled EP later that year.

The 36-year-old debuted a single titled "Her" in April 2021, followed by his latest release, "She," in July. In his musical journey, he has toured with famous bands such as the Jonas Brothers.

Jordan is also a dedicated family man, married to writer Morgan Stewart. The couple wed in December 2020, and three months later, they welcomed their firstborn daughter named Row.

Dr. Phil Is Proud of His Boys

The TV psychologist shared that he is proud of how his sons turned out to be grown men with their own families and success and that he is in awe:

“I’m the father of the most remarkable young men I have ever known, Father’s Day is always a time when I can take a step back, take a deep breath and say, ‘Wow.’”

Dr. Phil divulged that he is still involved and has a personal relationship with Jay and Jordan. Even though they are gone from home and living on their own, they also talk daily:

“What I’m most proud of is the fact that they are not only strong and independent, but they each have a well-developed moral compass that makes them good citizens in a world where good citizenship seems to be harder and harder to embrace."

Being a Pushover Granddad

The Oklahoma native is also a doting grandfather to his four grandchildren. In March 2020, he marveled at one of his granddaughters, Avery, and commemorated her 10th birthday on Instagram.

Dr. Phil posted a slide show from the little one's special day with one image showing a family portrait of him, his wife Robin posing alongside the birthday girl, and her brother London including their parents.

In September that year, celebrating Grandparents Day, the TV show host took to his Instagram page and gushed over his grandkids London and Avery. He posted a collage of the siblings who had the same pose in each snap; Avery wrapped her arm around her brother.

“Happy Grandparents Day! Repost from robin_mcgraw: How adorable are these two?! They have been posing like this for years!” the post read.

In February 2021, Jordan shared the exciting news of another addition to the family, the birth of his first child, on social media. He posted a picture holding his newborn admiring her: "Row Renggli McGraw, 2/16/21,” he captioned the post.

A year before, his father celebrated when he learned that he and Stewart were expecting their first child together. Dr. Phil congratulated the couple with a social media post.

"We are so proud of you and Morgan! Another grandbaby, yay! #granddaughter,” he wrote alongside a selfie of himself, Robin, Jordan, and his pregnant wife posing with pink balloons.

Dr. Phil spoils his grandkids as he is a pushover when it comes to them. He previously told Closer Weekly that his now 12-year-old granddaughter and eleven-year-old grandson love spending time in the kitchen.

Robin also shared that her husband is enamored with the little ones, and they called him "Popps.” She added, “he can be quite sweet and sensitive, and he can be funny. There is a tender side to the tough Dr. Phil.” He also overindulges them rotten with popsicles while their parents keep them on a diet.

The "Renovate My Family" star Jay once shared that he would not be who he is today if not for his loving father. "He sets the bar very high," he noted.

Fatherly Advice

Not only is Dr. Phil a good father, but he also shares important parenting advice. He was Jordan’s first call before he and Stewart went on their first post-baby date.

Their daughter Row is now 22 months old, and Jordan said he and his spouse were anxious about leaving their little girl. His father told him: "You have to enjoy every minute. You need to keep having fun with each other."

Dr. Phil emphasized his point by telling Today Parents that regardless of parents loving their kids, they need to take a break occasionally and recharge. He said it benefits the child too because they learn and that it is how parents get away from separation anxiety.