Hello Everyone,
Some quick facts about me and my situation. I am currently going through my divorce(filed but not yet finalized) and have sole custody of my children (ages 7 and 4) I am having a hard time trying to balance co-parenting with their father. After we separated, about 2 years ago, he let his addictions overcome him. He has always fought alcoholism, but after I left with the kids he started falling into hard drugs(mainly meth). Eventually, he was arrested and spent some time in jail. He is now out on probation but has been violating his terms of parole. He was caught past curfew and drinking so they are sending him into a 90-day rehab facility. The last time when he was in jail I didn't really explain where he was to the kids, they seemed too young to explain that kind of thing to. But my older child is rather smart and has picked up on context clues that her dad was in jail. I've lightly explained that he broke some rules and will be going away again(and missing the entire holiday season and possibly her birthday in January). She understands but obviously is still having a hard time accepting that her dad is unreliable and gets in trouble often. How do you help small children to cope with an unreliable parent? Especially someone who abuses substances and may be in and out of their life for the majority of it? It breaks my heart to see her heart broken over her parent and I don't know how to help.
Some quick facts about me and my situation. I am currently going through my divorce(filed but not yet finalized) and have sole custody of my children (ages 7 and 4) I am having a hard time trying to balance co-parenting with their father. After we separated, about 2 years ago, he let his addictions overcome him. He has always fought alcoholism, but after I left with the kids he started falling into hard drugs(mainly meth). Eventually, he was arrested and spent some time in jail. He is now out on probation but has been violating his terms of parole. He was caught past curfew and drinking so they are sending him into a 90-day rehab facility. The last time when he was in jail I didn't really explain where he was to the kids, they seemed too young to explain that kind of thing to. But my older child is rather smart and has picked up on context clues that her dad was in jail. I've lightly explained that he broke some rules and will be going away again(and missing the entire holiday season and possibly her birthday in January). She understands but obviously is still having a hard time accepting that her dad is unreliable and gets in trouble often. How do you help small children to cope with an unreliable parent? Especially someone who abuses substances and may be in and out of their life for the majority of it? It breaks my heart to see her heart broken over her parent and I don't know how to help.