Posted by socialdeviantjeff on January 17, 2004, at 23:38:04
Well, I'm 26, live with folks, psychotic depression, divorced, and have a 5 year old daughter.
I've managed to keep good contact with her, even at great expense to myself, jobs, etc. I pick her up after school and spend time with her as I can, which fortunately has been more often than not. The time she spends overnight is not entirely regular, but I try to as often as I can, balancing it with work and illness.
As far as she goes, she is very well adjusted. She has a great suport network of people who love her and she knows it. She has a great peronality, good self-esteem, and is as far from "bratty" as it gets.
I've read a lot of parenting books. I took the Parenting with Love and Logic courses, which I highly recommend to anybody. We have a tight bond despite my problems and her mother's family which has taken years to build.
Lately, my condition has been deteriorating and she has begun to notice. I've told her mother that I have an "illness" that is difficult to treat. She's asked a lot of questions but I've told her nothing specific. I've told my daughter that I get sick and sometimes get really tired and have to stay in bed, and the doctor is helping me. I hope there I've made the right moves.
I've been doing some googling on the web, but I can't find anything to help my situation. The stuff I found has either been for the kids themselves, a veiled or deliberate guilt trip, or not for the parents.
I can't afford extra resources so I'm stuck with the web. Any good sites out there?
poster:socialdeviantjeff
thread:302185
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20040109/msgs/302185.html