Hi all,
I'm considering the impacts of a divorce from my uBPDh either soon or in a few years. My kids range from 3-10 now and the last three years have been really rough for us all. My husband started getting a lot more unstable when he started a master's degree and I started developing/growing out of codependency and wanting my own personality and life. It's only gotten worse over those years, with mild success over the last month or two, but overall it's still not working and with realizations of some of his patterns and infidelity concerns, as well as what I might need to heal from the trauma of this relationship, I'm considering divorce. I've been convincing myself to stay because of ideas that the kids will be better off with an intact family, but I want the real deal... I don't want that to be a misguided decision. Any help finding information about the beneficial and detrimental impacts of divorce on kids at different ages would be helpful, as well as info on what living arrangements are best for different ages. I'm concerned about having to share custody and leave the little ones with him, but he's not dangerous or dysfunctional enough to keep them away from him for safety reasons, so I'm wondering what I'd need to consider there too.
I too didn't want my family broken. But the truth is that it was already "broken". Just because you are living under one roof, doesn't mean it is not broken.
Kids need one stable home and one stable parent. This is what I provide for them now. it is a very personal decision and a lot of factors to consider. But when children are involved it is always better IMO to remove them from the chaos and conflicted home rather than try to shelter them in the chaos. It doesn't always work. Children hear and see everything. Make the decision that is right for your kids.
-
Are you looking for research or personal stories?
My kids were 6 and 9 when we divorced (or when he first moved out and we started the process) and I was so, so worried about how it would effect them. I had stayed in an awful marriage for years because I didn't want that for my kids. They had special needs and I thought the upheaval would be too much for them. But since BPDxh left, here's what has happened to my children:
FIRST WEEK
* The youngest stopped having violent meltdowns and became more verbal
* Instead of tears and screaming every morning before school, they walked out the door with a hug and a kiss
* An unbelievable lightness and calmness filled our house for the first time in ages. The kids commented on it.
WITHIN SIX MONTHS
* The kids started inviting friends over to play for the first time ever. Our oldest had her first sleepover.
* Both of them used to stutter. Their stutters went away.
* The youngest, who had been in danger of failing second grade, began to turn in homework and pass tests
* The oldest, who used to pick at her skin until it bled, stopped having nervous tics like this
WITHIN ONE YEAR
* Both kids were discharged from speech services, which they had been in since preschool. Their speech is perfect today with no hint of the way they used to stutter or speech delays
* Our oldest was moved out of special ed and into a regular classroom (she was diagnosed ADHD when BPDxh lived with us, her symptoms are gone now)
* The youngest stopped wetting the bed and biting her nails
* The oldest's phobias, which had been tough to handle, evaporated
* Both kids started coming home with straight As
WITHIN TWO YEARS
* Both kids have gone from being loners at school to being part of solid, engaged friend groups. They have friends over almost every day
* Both kids have been placed in the gifted/talented or advanced classes at school. They went from special ed to gifted within two years!
* They are SO incredibly confident and happy. It's like night and day.
Today they are involved in sports, the drama club, volunteering. This very morning my oldest brought a sack of gifts to school for a class gift exchange she and her friends organized. Their bedrooms are covered with posters and pictures of their friends. They run the book fair and sell lemonade and win sporting trophies. Kids in the neighborhood come over and stay for dinner. They've had a lot of therapy, but the change has been overwhelmingly positive.
I have trouble looking back at photos of them from the time their dad lived here. They are so often crying, and you can see the fear and grief in their eyes. They are unrecognizable. I had no idea, NO idea, when we all lived together just how much his moodiness and outbursts were hurting the kids. On bad days I get down on myself for letting it go on so long and not acting sooner to protect them from his PD, but I try to remember I did the best I could.
I can't say my experience is true for all families where a parent has a PD, but I regret that I wasted so many years thinking divorce was the worst thing that could happen to us. It was easily the BEST thing to ever happen to me and my children. We are working on rebuilding their relationship with their dad and even that is going well.
I also have a parent with a PD, my mom is NPD. My parents are still married, but I wonder sometimes about how much healthier and kinder our childhood would have been if my dad had been strong enough to leave her. I doubt I would have married BPDxh if I had a normal childhood, you know?
snowflinga,
can i ask if the kids have visitation with their dad? if so, how often? and are they generally ok with it? this is my biggest fear, and one that's kept me rooted in a dysfunctional marriage for so long.
it sounds like your kids have come a long way, it's great to hear!
thanks
wh
As a child of divorce, my parents break up came as no surprise to me and my siblings. We ranged in age from 8 to 12 and none of us can remember a time when we weren't witnesses to the screaming, crying, and verbal abuse between my parents. I suspect my dad has NPD, and was ruthless with my mother and us kids. We were happy when he left. He barely made any attempts to see us, and when he did, it was forced and pathetic. We felt like we were bothering him or always in the way. Their split was a good thing for us.
Everyone's situation is different. IMO, children would rather be in a single parent home that is calm and stable than in an environment that creates constant anxiety. We felt like we were walking on eggshells every day. My brothers (two oldest) still deal with the ramifications of having an NPD father.
Hope this helps. Best wishes for a peaceful, successful outcome for you and your kids. :bigwink:
Quote from: Whiteheron on December 16, 2016, 06:09:09 PM
snowflinga,
can i ask if the kids have visitation with their dad? if so, how often? and are they generally ok with it? this is my biggest fear, and one that's kept me rooted in a dysfunctional marriage for so long.
it sounds like your kids have come a long way, it's great to hear!
thanks
wh
It has been a gradual process. At first they had no contact, and that was good. Then we started really small, like he would take them out to dinner for just a couple of hours at a time a few times a month. Maybe 18 months into the divorce he started taking them for a full day , like Saturday morning to Saturday night, twice a month. Today we are almost four years out and he has them every other weekend plus one week long vacation every year.
I feel like the limited contact was very good for him. I don't know if this will make sense, but it was almost like he would just run out of resources when he lived with us. He would have a long day or the kids would be especially noisy and he'd just very quickly spiral into screaming and raging (and hitting, towards the end.) When he had short visits with them, it was like he could gear up for it and manage to stay calm and reasonable for that set amount of time. It helped him stretch his coping skills and gave the kids some positive experiences with him, so it was good for everyone.
Today they enjoy seeing him and are confident around him. It took a while, and if I am honest at first that stung (inside I was yelling, don't you remember what he did to us??? when they hugged him.) But I realize this is the best thing for them, and if they are happy and secure that is a good thing.
I wish you all the best, I know it's a difficult decision to make that leap.
Hi, Shanti Shanti.
There are so many variables and so much depends upon the temperament of each child.
In terms of research, I found the literature handed out by our government services painful to read and useless in the face of dealing with a pd. It all assumes you're dealing with rational, logical, empathetic people. Pds don't fit that rosy picture.
You've already received some replies here and I'm sure there will be more.
But you have to work out what helps/applies in your situation. A therapist, I think, would help you with that.
Sometimes we get it wrong, often we second guess our decisions. Unfortunately there are no clear cut answers.
All the best with your decisions.
AOD
I found the literate useless to. All of it was useless. The encouraging to meditate, reconciliation, etc. I wanted to scream it's not possible with a disordered person. :aaauuugh:
Several years ago a friend of mine, who counsels married people dealing with a cheating spouse and is well versed in mental illness due to a family member of hers that was mentally ill, told me that the research shows kids are better off if the parents get divorced if it is a high conflict household. I didn't listen to her and am only now in the early stages of filing. In the intervening years I've seen how my kids have been negatively affected by all the yelling and hollering in the house. It's affected me as well. I yell too much. It's something I'm working on. I'm trying not to beat myself up about how long I stayed in the marriage. For years I told myself that if I broke things off he would never get better. I was concerned he would commit suicide. It's something he has threatened in the past. Now I'm dealing with kids who have witnessed so much verbal and mental abuse of their mom by their dad. Who have watched their dad sit like a bump on a log for years. He quit his job when my son was about 2 1/2. He's now 9. My kids have no idea what it's like to have parents who actually co-parent. I do almost all the cooking, cleaning, yard work, shopping, running to appointments, making appointments, arranging play dates, planning the birthday parties, etc. That plus I work full time. I've been the only income all those years. What kind of an example have I set for the kids by putting up with this BS for so long? I've got kids who don't help around the house much, who hate doing homework (my husband never thought it was important and didn't help or enforce it), etc. We're all in counseling. The kids need routines and discipline and I'm hoping its not too little, too late for that. It's hard. But I'm trying. :thumbup:
Quote from: snoflinga on December 16, 2016, 04:23:55 PM
Are you looking for research or personal stories?
My kids were 6 and 9 when we divorced (or when he first moved out and we started the process) and I was so, so worried about how it would effect them. I had stayed in an awful marriage for years because I didn't want that for my kids. They had special needs and I thought the upheaval would be too much for them. But since BPDxh left, here's what has happened to my children:
FIRST WEEK
* The youngest stopped having violent meltdowns and became more verbal
* Instead of tears and screaming every morning before school, they walked out the door with a hug and a kiss
* An unbelievable lightness and calmness filled our house for the first time in ages. The kids commented on it.
WITHIN SIX MONTHS
* The kids started inviting friends over to play for the first time ever. Our oldest had her first sleepover.
* Both of them used to stutter. Their stutters went away.
* The youngest, who had been in danger of failing second grade, began to turn in homework and pass tests
* The oldest, who used to pick at her skin until it bled, stopped having nervous tics like this
WITHIN ONE YEAR
* Both kids were discharged from speech services, which they had been in since preschool. Their speech is perfect today with no hint of the way they used to stutter or speech delays
* Our oldest was moved out of special ed and into a regular classroom (she was diagnosed ADHD when BPDxh lived with us, her symptoms are gone now)
* The youngest stopped wetting the bed and biting her nails
* The oldest's phobias, which had been tough to handle, evaporated
* Both kids started coming home with straight As
WITHIN TWO YEARS
* Both kids have gone from being loners at school to being part of solid, engaged friend groups. They have friends over almost every day
* Both kids have been placed in the gifted/talented or advanced classes at school. They went from special ed to gifted within two years!
* They are SO incredibly confident and happy. It's like night and day.
Today they are involved in sports, the drama club, volunteering. This very morning my oldest brought a sack of gifts to school for a class gift exchange she and her friends organized. Their bedrooms are covered with posters and pictures of their friends. They run the book fair and sell lemonade and win sporting trophies. Kids in the neighborhood come over and stay for dinner. They've had a lot of therapy, but the change has been overwhelmingly positive.
I have trouble looking back at photos of them from the time their dad lived here. They are so often crying, and you can see the fear and grief in their eyes. They are unrecognizable. I had no idea, NO idea, when we all lived together just how much his moodiness and outbursts were hurting the kids. On bad days I get down on myself for letting it go on so long and not acting sooner to protect them from his PD, but I try to remember I did the best I could.
I can't say my experience is true for all families where a parent has a PD, but I regret that I wasted so many years thinking divorce was the worst thing that could happen to us. It was easily the BEST thing to ever happen to me and my children. We are working on rebuilding their relationship with their dad and even that is going well.
I also have a parent with a PD, my mom is NPD. My parents are still married, but I wonder sometimes about how much healthier and kinder our childhood would have been if my dad had been strong enough to leave her. I doubt I would have married BPDxh if I had a normal childhood, you know?
Such an amazing change, this is exactly what im hoping will happen for my children, eldest has a lot of pent up rage, she is a very angry girl, and she has some debilitating phobias. Youngest has bowel problems and messes herself frequently, shes 8, ive been suspecting their problems have a lot to do with all the conflict they witness, thankyou for sharing this, youve given me a lot of hope.
When my parents parted I was 12. It was a great relief to myself and my younger siblings. Our home was an insane battle ground.
They should have parted many years before they actually did.
There was peace for a while but then they resumed their war from a distance using us kids to get at each other with.
I've posted my experience on the non pd dad forum section so won't repeat it all here but my experience is a resolute yes that it is better for the children to have a stable, peaceful and relaxing environment in at least one household as a result of a divorce rather than a volitile, angry and unsettling war zone when it is thought that it is better to stay for the sake of the children. I have seen my boys blossom since the divorce. Good luck.
I'm both a child of divorce and have been divorced with kids. My kids are doing very well and living in peace in a stable home with me.
I know in most cases, for the safety of the children, a hasty unplanned exit is not the answer. Neither is a long planned but secret one if the kids are not given any notice.
I also know that when your kids have serious special needs, when you have to work nights, or when you have little monetary or financial support, divorce is not always an option right now just for the sheer difficulty of caring for the children when they are young.
However, as far as I can tell from my experience and my kids experience and most kids I know today-- they all are doing better as long as they have one stable parent and a loving home to go to.
Here are some links that might help you too:
Put Children First (http://www.outofthefog.net/CommonNonBehaviors/PutChildrenFirst.html)
Talking to Kids (http://outofthefog.website/what-to-do-2/2015/12/5/talking-to-kids)
Dear Shantishanti -
I wrestled (and still wrestle) with the question you raised: is divorce or staying married to a PD better for the kids? Prior to making the decision to move out with my kids (one preschool, one early elementary), I spent a lot of time on this forum reading the co-parenting, divorce, and children of PD forums for firsthand accounts. I also took advantage of counseling through my company's EAP program and focused my sessions on two issues: 1) was I overreacting to my husband's behavior, which he insisted was normal and/or something that only I triggered due to my many shortcomings as a human being, and 2) what was in the best interest of my children.
On the second question, the counselor referred me to the ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) study. It's a long-term study conducted by the CDC and Kaiser that has followed 17,000 patients since the mid-1990s. A top-line conclusion of the study is that divorce is less traumatizing to children than growing up in a household where there are high levels of conflict and/or abuse.
The caveat, of course, is that this study necessarily compares apples to oranges, or one family or another. There are no studies that will definitively state whether staying or going is better for YOUR family, and, if you're like me, you always may wonder about the path not taken.
That said, there have been tough days and some tears from my older son, but I still believe leaving was the right decision for my family. At several months out, with my husband in denial and dragging his feet on every aspect of the legal process, I can't report the same dramatic progress as snoflinga, but I've seen real improvement in both children.
My son was diagnosed in kindergarten with anxiety and possible autism due to preservative speech. Inattention in class was noted as a tertiary concern. He also spent a great deal of time in the principal's office after calling his teachers the names he heard at home. This year, he has not been sent to the office once and the main concern identified is inattention - the anxiety and speech tics have virtually disappeared. As his pediatrician has noted, ADHD in little boys is fairly common and treatable; clinical anxiety is not. There is no formal custody arrangement in place (see foot-dragging, as noted above 😕), but he spends half the time with his dad, alternating weeknights and weekends. I had the kids for Thanksgiving, which had previously been a tense and miserable weekend. My son said - more than once - that this was "the best Thanksgiving ever!"
My daughter was diagnosed with special needs (Down Syndrome) at birth, so her speech delays and use of diapers as a 3-year-old perhaps were to be expected. She also NEVER slept through the night. Now, she's speaking in clear sentences of three to five words, counts to 20, sings songs, and uses a diaper only at night. She also sleeps through the night. I have her almost all the time, since her dad is unable/unwilling to care for her; however, I no longer have to tolerate his incessant critiques of my parenting. (I read stories too quickly, speak too quickly, use pet names instead of her real name, etc., etc.)
Last week, my husband starting working up to one of his rants in front of the kids, claiming that I had ruined Christmas and destroyed the family. He also threatened that our son wouldn't be six forever and when he grew up, he would make sure that DS knew I was to blame for the divorce, because I'm selfish and my family is "white trash." I told him that he needed to leave; my sweet little son then told his dad exactly where to he wanted him to go - hell 😈! Of course, I reprimanded his language and told him he should be kind and respectful to others. Unlike last year, when I would have been an utter hypocrite and crying mess because I did nothing about my husband's unkindness and disrespect towards me, I also calmly showed my husband the door. Then the kids and I went back to playing and had a lovely weekend.
I think your question is THE question for those of us who have shared children with a PD partner. I've personally found the other responses to your post very helpful and encouraging and hope that mine also contributes even a little bit to your decision. Wishing all the best to you and your family!
Quote from: Poised on December 19, 2016, 12:13:41 PM
Last week, my husband starting working up to one of his rants in front of the kids, claiming that I had ruined Christmas and destroyed the family. He also threatened that our son wouldn't be six forever and when he grew up, he would make sure that DS knew I was to blame for the divorce, because I'm selfish and my family is "white trash." I told him that he needed to leave; my sweet little son then told his dad exactly where to he wanted him to go - hell 😈! Of course, I reprimanded his language and told him he should be kind and respectful to others. Unlike last year, when I would have been an utter hypocrite and crying mess because I did nothing about my husband's unkindness and disrespect towards me, I also calmly showed my husband the door. Then the kids and I went back to playing and had a lovely weekend.
I think your question is THE question for those of us who have shared children with a PD partner. I've personally found the other responses to your post very helpful and encouraging and hope that mine also contributes even a little bit to your decision. Wishing all the best to you and your family!
Yay for your son! I usually don't like to hear about kids swearing and disrespecting their parents, but in this case, I completely understand.
snowflinga,
thanks for being so open about your situation, I really appreciate it. I'm still trying to come to terms with everything and trying to gather as much information as I can so I'm not blindsided when the time comes.
Thank you all, another really good question, another set of very informative posts.
I also worry, I have nothing to add, but a great big thanks to all.
In terms of making the transition as easy as possible for the children (and for yourself), information and preparation equal power.
If you have a plan and if you have as much info (legal, financial etc.) the less stressed you will be. And therefore the children won't be as stressed.
Also, be prepared for your spouse's behaviour to become worse, at least for a while, if you do choose to leave.
AOD
Thank you for all the response. It's all very helpful. I often feel like my perspective is so skewed by dysfunction that it's hard to see what things are supposed to be like. I will spend more time reading in the forums. It seems to help my reality meter when I do that. He's been better with me lately but chews out the kids for random kid things, doesn't carry his weight, hasn't worked in over a year, and I do the vast majority of housework. After finding or was spending time in Tinder looking for women, I'm heavily considering sanity and resolve, trying to what I've possibly been ignoring, including what's best for the kids. I've been telling myself I was staying for the kids, but if that's misguided, I should leave. I appreciate the stories.
Shantishanti, i was telling myself i was staying for the kids too till a couple ofnweekks ago when they asked me if we could kick dad out :wacko: didnt know what to say
I'm sorry you're in this position, especially around the holidays. Sending strength and peace to you and your kids.
Quote from: Livingoneggshells on December 20, 2016, 04:37:08 PM
Shantishanti, i was telling myself i was staying for the kids too till a couple ofnweekks ago when they asked me if we could kick dad out :wacko: didnt know what to say
My son asked if our new house was ready yet :flat:
We've had discussions on the divorce process, how it works, how we would have separate houses - he's approached me because he's worried about what happens when/if his dad pushes me to file (which DS approached me about earlier and told me was his strong feeling - not a frequent topic of discussion around our house, but the kids are feeling something is really off with uPDh). I'm telling him it takes a lot of time to sort out. I hate that I can't wave a magic wand and make it all better for them.
Just need to maintain the status quo for a few more weeks...
:hug: to everyone who is posting on this thread and dealing with children and splitting or potential splitting during the holidays.
We'll make it through.
Shantishanti,
This was my big question as well. For years, I stayed for the sake of the kids. Inside I was miserable. Your story caught my attention. Similar parallels: I started down the same path of healing from codependency, started standing up to his behavior and refusing to placate his moods. When I became healthier his verbal abuse towards the children escalated.
Like one of the other respondents, I had been reading on this forum for a year. Especially the adult children of PDs , the coparenting, and this one.
But, the verbal abuse became physical abuse of our son. Similar to your situation, previously my husband had been "safe" with them. I had read on the forums that verbal abuse leads to physical abuse, but I naively thought it wouldn't happen. Similar to LOES, my kids begged me to kick him out. And other people were noticing and told me they would call CPS if we didn't separate.
I'm not telling you this to scare you, just want you to think about it. What you believe won't ever happen may in fact become reality.
What is somewhat different is our kids ages. Mine were 13 and 16 when we separated. They are teenagers and teens have normal differences of opinion with their parents. His PD didn't like being disagreed with.
What has been interesting is hearing the calm in their voices. My ds now 14 is calm and patient. He used to snap back at me over reasonable requests to do chores and be generally disrespectful. He was responding the way his PD Dad had treated him. He used to be such a strong willed child and hard to parent. All that has changed. He's become the great kid I always knew he could be.
My daughter had struggled with an eating disorder. Now that she is well, she has articulated that much of what drove her into the eating disorder was her Dad's behavior and demands of her.
In short, I wish I had done this sooner.
We are over a year out now since the separation. Our lives are calm and peaceful and happy. We still have some struggles. Both kids have some element of ADHD. But, it's so much easier to manage now that we aren't always walking around with frayed nerves.
Echoing TooLonginWA: We can do this. If I can do it, so can everyone else here that decides that this step is best for their family as well.
These forums got me through it. So thank you to everyone here who asks great questions and to those who respond with such well thought out answers. I have learned so much and continue to learn so much more. Here's to all of us growing and becoming healthier in every way in 2017
ShantiShanti- divorce was never a consideration for me until I felt I had no other choice. For some of us, it finally gets to that place. The other day my five year old was sad/angry and told me he was going to "throw himself out of the house and kill himself." My son heard that from his father when he was only 4 yrs old and now a year later I am still dealing with the repercussions. I probably should have left sooner but I kept hanging on trying to "save our family" (i.e. Get my husband psych help so he would stop destroying our family). I've learned from this experience that you can't save anyone but yourself (and children if you have them).
Hi ShantiShanti-
Like others have posted, from everything I have read it is better on children to be in one stable home 50% of the time, then an abusive one 100% of the time.
I have one child who is 5. I moved out over a year ago. I had decided to leave my ex because of his drug use, infidelity (with prostitutes), and his lifestyle. During this time in our marriage my ex would yell and scream, and curse at me in front of my son about anything and everything (when he was around and he did travel a lot). I was so beat down and felt worthless that I would let him and not defend myself. DS saw my ex push me around, "spank me", threaten me, etc. DS who was only 3 at the time, could see that this was wrong and would yell back at his father. I couldn't have that on my conscience- letting an innocent child try to defend his mother. I could see where my life was headed. I left my ex in secret and I don't believe he had any idea.
Since that time- it has been very hard on DS and me. My ex went from not being involved at all in childcare to having our son one night a week and EOW. My son exhibits a lot of aggressive behaviors, says troubling things, and the transitions have been difficult (like can not leave the house he is so miserable the Monday he comes back from Dads).
However, I am hopeful that DS will see his mother live a stable, happy life. For my own mental sanity I had to leave and build my own life. It would not have been a happy home if I had stayed. It was clear that I was past the point of "staying for my son".
I saw my ex yesterday to exchange our son, and I wished so much that he could "get better". That he could be cured of his PD, but it is such a part of him, just like the abusive behavior is. It was bittersweet to see him and have a civil exchange (at the police station of course) and know they were going to have Christmas Eve dinner like I've had with him and his family for over a decade. But I know that nothing would heal him. I still cried when I got home. But keeping that in mind- that he will NEVER change - really just sealed the deal for me. And I don't regret it. I believe 100% I made the right choice for my son and myself.
This is all very helpful. Thank you all for sharing!
LtF - It never really sank in with me that verbal abuse leads to physical abuse...do you know offhand if that's the case in the majority of situations? As d-day approaches, I am increasingly concerned how stbxuPDh will react. Even though it seems like he's pushing me towards divorce being the only option, once I file, I think all he!! will break loose.
His verbal abuse is getting worse again, likely because he's weaning himself off of one of his mood stabilizers - apparently he's convinced doc that he's doing fine and doesn't need them anymore. :o Just yesterday he was insulting DS calling him a drama queen simply because DS was having trouble following uPDh's instructions - which were very convoluted and changed halfway through the task, leaving DS confused and unsure of what to do. DS was telling this to me in the car today and DD asks me why is daddy like that? :-\ I admitted to her that I didn't know.
I can't wait to file because I know the kids need stability, they need time away from him, but at the same time I'm terrified of how he will react. Part of me feels like a coward - like I'm just burying my head in the sand hoping it will all go away. Only a few more weeks to go...
I just wanted to let you all know that we decided to make this topic a permanent post at the top of the Separating and Divorcing Board because it resonated with many and offered good insights for those considering or in the process of separating and divorcing.
Thank you!
I found the book "The Good Divorce" helpful when I was going through my divorce 20 years ago.
I can also offer some insight. It is challenging for kids to pack up their things and go back and forth between homes, but it does make them more organized and in many ways more independent and mature.
I made many mistakes after my divorce by starting to date someone whom I thought was the OPPOSITE of my ex, but turned out to be very much the same, and then marrying someone who is uPD. If you do decide to divorce, my advice is to stay strong and heal and not introduce anyone new/unhealthy into their lives.
This is my second divorce. My first happened when my children were babies, and now, they're teenagers. I can tell you that I thought my kids would be better off if I stayed in this crazy marriage; however, they would have been much better off had I left a long, long time ago, and to be honest, a dysfunctional marriage marred by constant tension and fighting is much worse than a functional single-parent household. Trust me on this one.
Hello all!
I haven't been on the forum in a long while, but wanted to check back in.
After trying to get him to really dedicate to working on us and that not working, seeing our finances looking more and more grim, and the continuing splitting between his clinging and hatred towards me, I moved out in January with the kids.
For a while, I would go spend weekends at the house with them all instead of leaving the kids with him alone. I was still hoping things would get better, thinking the distance most of the week would help. His behavior was just as bad though. In March, he told me he couldn't give me the space I needed to heal from his sexual and emotional abuse while still thinking of me as his wife, because his wife should be there to fulfill him and give him all that he wishes for... So he wanted to open our relationship so that he could be with other women and feel loved. I told him that was a divorce. We did a private ceremony to mark the end of our relationship that month and told the kids we were not moving back in with dad and that when they went to his house, I wouldn't be spending the night there.
I just today filed the supporting documents and request to set the final hearing for the divorce. I often struggle with wanting to rescue him still, especially when he's begging me to stay and fix things, sobbing and telling me I am the one who gave up, but I've made it my mantra to remember that I choose happiness over rescuing someone who treats me poorly.
Prior to my decision, in addition to this thread, I read a bunch of articles and research on divorce, finding that yes, it was better for kids to be in divorced families than to be in a high conflict marriage. I also found that it is worse for kids to be in a high conflict divorce than a high conflict intact family (with caveats for degrees of conflict, of course). I resolved, then, to appeal to my ex's compassion for the kids well-being in reminding him that we could not at all discuss anything stressful in front of them, as well as resolving to honor my own boundaries, not engage, walk away, hold firm, etc.
It's been hard to do but I my kids are doing better now than before. My child who previously had emotional instability issues has been in counseling and finished, being able now to express himself and not fall into despair as he used to. It has been months since I last saw him melt down like he used to with his dad. My eldest is seeming depressed, but not as bad as before, and I am getting him into his own counseling soon. My 6 year old is acting rebelliously, but also not too bad. My 3 year old has been very upset with visits to dad's, but luckily dad is aware and respectful enough of her mental well-being to agree to her staying with me all but one night per week. She also has made statements about wishing to be dead, which breaks my heart, and I'm watching that and will get her pro help if it continues (I'm planning in all my kids getting counseling at intervals in their childhoods to help them cope).
My biggest concerns at the moment are the frustrations of feeling they won't really be well cared for while they're with him and how to keep from being taken advantage of. Luckily though, I will now have legal backing to enforce him paying support, which you can't get when you're not divorced or separated. In the first four months I was gone, he didn't give me a penny and I had the kids at last 2/3 of the time, yet he still tries to gaslight me into feeling like he did. The divorce gives me hope for enforceable accountability and validation for what is our due. I know that I can give these kids more stability with me and teach them to watch out for each other and gain a stronger sense of self to hold inside themselves in the face of a PD that would try to tear them down. It hurts that I cannot be there to buffet and protect them while they are with him, but I can give them more tools to be stronger and I can hold onto my daughter while she is still so young.
Thank you to everyone who responded on this thread and inspired me to dig deeper and reconsider the approach that was killing me. I chose happiness. And I am far happier now, and healthier in mind and body, which makes me a better mother to my children and gives them a glimpse Out of the FOG we all constantly lived in for too long.