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Lone parents

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Rbkh · 08/01/2019 15:15

Hi, so as the subject suggests this is going to be a bit of a long one but I would love some advice and need to get things off my chest too. I moved home before my daughter was born, I suffer from mental health issues and my daughters dad and I were just drifting apart due to other issues too. We started to get on okay again and he started making promises about a new start in a new town half way between where both our families lived, but it was just broken promise after promise until July last year I finally put an end to us ever getting back together or having a future after he had constantly lied to me and would always put us family before his own daughter! We constantly argued in front of my daughter from when she was about 6 months old and things became really toxic when he started just failing to turn up to see her, not paying for her, letting her down etc in the July of last year when she was just shy of turning 2. We have constantly argued in front of her when he’s been down to visit and I hugely regret it and I’ve now started to see she has picked up on so much. Her behaviour is awful she shouts all the time, laughs in my face when I’m trying to tell her not to do something, hurts people on purpose, never listens. The list is endless and it’s not helped by me then shouting at her more when she’s not been listening for hours on end. My mental health hasn’t helped at all and makes me worse. I’ve also noticed a huge change in her since I’ve been caring for my nephew for a couple of days whilst my sister is at work and I’m not sure if that’s contributing towards her behaviour too. I’m so exhausted and being a single mum is so tiring. I just feel like I’m failing as a mum and I’m ruining my daughters life. I really don’t know what to do anymore :/

OP posts:
2018anewstart · 08/01/2019 18:13

All children at that age can display the attitudes that you talk about and it may have nothing at all to do with the arguments she has seen. You have plenty of time in her life to put all the arguing behind you and she will never remember them. When you feel like things are getting on top of you instead of shouting take her out to a park for example and take a deep breath. The fresh air will do you both good. Show her lots of love and attention and you will rwap the rewards in thelong term. I'm no childcare expert but I am sure there are plenty on here who could give you more advice. Being a single parent us hard but do the best you can and dont be afraid to ask for help for your mental health issues.

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