Reply to what happens when Dad abandons the family and Mom is left to handle everything, but doesn't want it either?

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Reply to "what happens when Dad abandons the family and Mom is left to handle everything, but doesn't want it either?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP here.  Mom is not leaving her kids- she loves them.  She's just on the verge of a mental breakdown and her functioning is dropping because she is extremely overwhelmed with now being a single mom of 3, working very full-time, and dealing with a deadbeat, which is frankly worse than a dead dad.  
She can't keep up and while family is verbally supportive, no one is there to help.
And the dad's selfish carefree example is now the one that her preteen kids want to emulate.  
I just see her spiraling downward from afar, and am appalled by the legal system that seems to have no consequences for a dad (parent) who simply abandons their family.  She's lives in a very "no-fault" (ie no consequences) state.  The assumption is that the responsible parent will handle everything (certainly gov't doesn't want to step in and assume any cost or responsibility)[/quote]

Mom is gonna have to be bold and ask for help. For instance: play dates or rides with the kids' friends, help from neighbors, etc. I for one would be happy to host my 3rd grader's buddy once a week so you could get a break, or if you needed to stay late at work, etc. [/quote]

My mom did this. We were in this exact same scenario as OP. My mom was depressed, I was parentified, and we were shuffled between good neighbors. The best thing my mom could have done was to stop arguing with reality, gotten counseling, and picked herself up to be the parent we needed. Life isn’t fair, but it’s really unfair to kids who didn’t ask for any of it. But, she didn’t do that and we all suffered, well into adulthood due to neglect. [/quote]

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