Re: "I found some people's advice helpful, and for that I'm grateful"

JeraS, this is one of the ugliest aspects of children from broken homes. It's not uncommon and, unfortunately, the adults refuse to put aside their differences and work, together, to co-parent the child(ren).

It is outrageous that you feel that you must leave your own home with your child to be safe. If his daughter is this far out of control and the mother refuses to see to the child's best interests, there is another option, but it's unpleasant and........well.......not popular. The father could sign off all parental rights and he would no longer be responsible for the daughter.

This sounds drastic and there may be a lot of flack about this, but I think that I would have done this, myself, if I had not been the person that I was, at that time. Things have changed and I have a very good relationship with my youngest, and a tenuous one with my eldest, but I can completely understand why a parent would take this option, particularly when it's never going to get better.

You're in a tough situation, and there may be some really unpleasant decisions that need to be made. Asking the Courts to get involved may also be an option, but Family Courts are, for the most part, dreadfully broken.

Good luck to you Tweet