Dear Queenie,
My parents got divorced when me and my brothers were little. Most of their problems were because my father drank too much.
Mom took good care of us and she is great with our children, but we hardly ever see Dad and when we do he criticizes us and says bad things about Mom, so we don’t let him see our children very much.
I have gone to counselling and suggested that it might help Dad too, but he refuses to go.
I really don’t want to see him at all, but I don’t like the idea of turning my back on him.
Queenie, what to do?—Fed-up son
Dear Son,
When your father criticises you and/or says bad things about your mother, tell him you do not wish to hear any of it, and leave or tell him to leave if he does not stop.
And continue going for counselling as long as it is helping you.
You might also get more support from Adult Children of Alcoholics
(adultchildren.org). It would be worth a try.
