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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Thank you for your stories PPs.

OP here, I'm asking because my child is very young (4). I have primary physical custody, but DC's father, who is mentally ill, has visitations.

I don't want to bring up the mental illness issue until it's age appropriate. My child already experiences the anger outbursts over nothing. It's as someone described, like walking on eggshells.

If your parents divorced what could the other parent have done or did to make you feel better about the situation?[/quote]

OP,

I'm not sure you bringing it up is the correct step.  Your ex may want to address it himself.  Depending on what it is, 4 would probably be too young to understand what being bipolar or depressed or having OCD really means.  If he asks why his dad does such and such.  Let him know that our brains all work differently.

It's important that you don't convey a stigma or sense of disgust (although the mental illness may have been a driving factor in the divorce).  Your ex is still a parent, having a mental illness isn't anyone's fault, and lastly, since things do tend to run in families, you don't want your kid feeling like they are doomed if they should develop the same thing.[/quote]

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