A mother's heart is shattered by her ex-husband's cruel behavior towards his son. The estrangement began when the father disapproved of the son's lack of similarity to his older brother, deeming him "not my son." This sentiment was echoed in a recent verbal confrontation where he stated that the son couldn't be helped because he hadn't called him last week.
The mother is now heartbroken as her sons are growing up without a father figure. The younger son, Andrew, had an emergency surgery and his ex-husband failed to check in on his well-being, despite their attempts at therapy. Abby advises that no amount of counseling or therapy can fix the damage caused by years of emotional neglect.
Meanwhile, another reader, Sad Mom from Pakistan, is struggling with her 7-year-old son's clingy behavior towards friends and acquaintances through video calls and voice messages. She fears that her son may replicate her social difficulties, but Abby advises that friendships should evolve naturally and are often formed through shared interests.
Abby emphasizes the importance of exposing children to various activities and individuals, which can help them develop their social skills and find meaningful relationships. By fostering a healthy environment and avoiding enabling behaviors, parents can encourage their children to form natural connections with others.
Ultimately, the advice from Abby serves as a reminder that parenting is about creating opportunities for our children to thrive, rather than trying to fix pre-existing problems or replicate our own experiences.
The mother is now heartbroken as her sons are growing up without a father figure. The younger son, Andrew, had an emergency surgery and his ex-husband failed to check in on his well-being, despite their attempts at therapy. Abby advises that no amount of counseling or therapy can fix the damage caused by years of emotional neglect.
Meanwhile, another reader, Sad Mom from Pakistan, is struggling with her 7-year-old son's clingy behavior towards friends and acquaintances through video calls and voice messages. She fears that her son may replicate her social difficulties, but Abby advises that friendships should evolve naturally and are often formed through shared interests.
Abby emphasizes the importance of exposing children to various activities and individuals, which can help them develop their social skills and find meaningful relationships. By fostering a healthy environment and avoiding enabling behaviors, parents can encourage their children to form natural connections with others.
Ultimately, the advice from Abby serves as a reminder that parenting is about creating opportunities for our children to thrive, rather than trying to fix pre-existing problems or replicate our own experiences.
. I mean, come on, how can you just not care about your kid's health? Like, what kind of dad does that? 
And now the mom is heartbroken because her sons are growing up without a dad figure... it's like, what's next? The whole family just falling apart? 
Video calls and voice messages aren't going to cut it for forming meaningful relationships... or is that just what you want them to think so you don't have to deal with the hassle of actual human connection?
. I mean, how can you just dismiss your kid because he doesn't remind you of someone else? It's like, your kid has his own identity and shouldn't be forced into your mold. And now the mom's left raising two kids without a dad figure, which is just not fair to either one of them 
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. The mom sounds like she's going through some serious emotional turmoil 
. It's like, you can try to patch things up with a Band-Aid, but some wounds just run too deep 
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. It's all about giving kids space to grow and thrive, you know? And as parents, it's our job to be the ones who provide that space 
#ParentingTips #ChildDevelopment #HealingFromHurt
my old neighbor used to do the same thing with his kids, always comparing them to their older siblings. It's so sad that this mom is struggling and her ex-husband's behavior is having such a profound effect on Andrew's life. I remember when I was growing up, we didn't have all these therapy options, but it's still not okay for parents to neglect their kids like that.
as much as I want Sad Mom to be right and for her son to find friends naturally, I know how hard that can be when you're struggling with your own social difficulties. But maybe Abby's advice is spot on - we need to give our kids more opportunities to explore and interact with others, not just rely on technology.
), it's giving me some food for thought... how can I make sure my kiddos are exposed to different activities and people if I'm not even in the same country as them? 
. As Abby so astutely pointed out, parenting is not about trying to fix existing issues or replicating our own experiences, but rather about providing our children with the opportunities they need to thrive 
. It's like he doesn't care about his son's well-being at all.
. If a child grows up without a supportive dad figure, it's no wonder they might struggle with social connections later on 
. As Abby said, therapy and counseling aren't going to fix everything 
. And it's okay if their friendships don't replicate ours - we want them to form connections with others who are a good match for them, not someone they feel stuck with 
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My cousin went through a similar thing with his dad (they're divorced), and it was really tough on him too. He still talks about how much he misses his dad when he's around the birthday boy, but at the same time, you can see the sadness in his eyes like "dude, where was your dad when I needed him?". Anywayz, I think it's super important to create a safe space for kids to form their own connections and friendships. They need people who care about them not just because they're family but also because they're genuine 
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Letting go of control and letting your kid make mistakes is where the real growth happens. And omg, Sad Mom from Pakistan needs to chill about her kid being clingy, maybe it's because she's too busy being a helicopter parent 
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. Like what kinda parent disapproves of their kid not looking like their bro? And now they're just ignoring the emergency surgery with Andrew? That's some next level neglect 
. Just chill out, be supportive, and let 'em find their tribe 
. I can imagine how scared Andrew must be feeling not having his dad check in on him after the surgery, that's just cruel 
. And Sad Mom's struggles with her son's clingy behavior are valid too, it's like she's trying to shield him from the world but also worried he'll repeat her own issues