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3yo says he wants new daddy - unsure where to post

post #1 of 9
Thread Starter 
Hi Mamas,

I'm pretty distraught and would appreciate some guidance and support right now.

My husband and I have had our problems and have been working through them in both individual and couples counseling for over a year (alternating when we couldn't get childcare, etc). We were doing pretty well for a while. Then, about a month ago, weI had a terrible argument which seemed to last all day. I returned home with my son mid-afternoon, DH seemed calmer, acted like nothing had happened. I later discovered that he had been drinking. After they woke from their nap, I questioned him about it and he ignored me. Later, he acted resentfully, then exploded by saying negative things about me in front of and directly to our son (3). At this point, my son was eating dinner. He stormed in and out of the house, slamming doors, yelling, etc under the guise of housework while we were arguing. (I know, it's strange) He reentered the home, got in my face and really scared me by acting in a threatening manner. So, I called the cops. He left the house while I was on hold with them (so my son never saw cops take his dad away or anything like that) I didn't press charges, I just needed him removed from the home for our safety. He stayed away for a few days. We went to therapy together and he agreed to do AA and anger management classes. He is a SAHD, family lives out of state, and at that time did not have a job, so when the therapist asked if he could come back and stay on the couch, I said I felt on the spot but agreed anyway since he did not have an alternate place to go.

So, he's been back for a month, trying hard, going to AA, doing anger mgmt, etc. The first two weeks, things were better. My son seemed fine. We both talked with him and assured him it was ok to express his feelings. Also, assured him it wasn't his fault, etc.

During the last two weeks, my son has been resistant to spending time alone with him. He has also been telling him "I want a new daddy, I don't want you" "I want you to leave and not come back, etc" According to my husband, these comments seem to come out of the blue. They will be playing nicely together and then, he'll make one of these comments.

We're not really sure what to do here, apart from sitting him down again to encourage him to share his feelings.

I welcome your support and guidance.
Thanks.
post #2 of 9
ick. that sounds tough. Parents fighting can be really hard on kids. Would you consider putting him in counselling? It could help him work through things...
post #3 of 9
There may be something going on during that SAHD time that you don't know about. (I'm not thinking sexual abuse or anything, just poor parenting.)

Counseling for your son is a good idea, if you are keen to preserve the marriage and you want to get to the bottom of this issue and resolve it.

But if what you really want is out of your marriage and you can move to a place where family could provide childcare, or put your son in daycare and have your husband get a job, that would also be a good idea. Right now you are completely codependent (he needs your money and you need his childcare), and that's no good situation to be in if your son is voicing your own thoughts and you'd really like is to get rid of this guy and hopefully meet somebody who doesn't drink to excess and does support his family.

Whatever you decide, good luck to you!

post #4 of 9
Have you looked into family counseling?
post #5 of 9
I would put this comment right up there with "I hate you."

I would not worry about dp being a bad parent but more that my child is most likely trying to express anger, hurt, and maybe resentment over the situation.
post #6 of 9
Yeah, I think your son is just expressing his discomfort with his father's behavior. It probably comes out at peaceful times, because that is when he feels comfortable speaking up about it.

There were plenty of times I wished I could exchange one or another of my parents.
post #7 of 9
I've noticed a lot of kids will express their feelings when they feel safe. So it may be long after the event before they say anything. My son was bullied in kindergarten and slowly over the last two years the extent of what happened has come out. He hadn't mentioned for several months and then yesterday, he mentioned in passing that the kid punched him in the stomach in the bathroom. It is the first time he has ever said anything about the kid getting physically violent.
post #8 of 9
I used to say this about my dad. As long as you're sure abuse isn't an issue, one thing that helped me was getting to spend one-on-one time with my dad in an activity we both liked. For me, it was golf. It left both of us less time to be emotional and ruminate on the bad times, and it doesn't have to be an expensive activity.
post #9 of 9
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lady Lilya View Post
Yeah, I think your son is just expressing his discomfort with his father's behavior. It probably comes out at peaceful times, because that is when he feels comfortable speaking up about it.

There were plenty of times I wished I could exchange one or another of my parents.
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