The older I get, the more tolerant I am of different marriage arrangements. People lie to themselves and each other all the time; stay in marriages for the kids, because it's easier, because they have no money to leave, for the convenience. People will tolerate a lot from each other in those situations, including sexual and emotional infidelity. Sometimes it even works for them. I've stopped judging. It's hard to change your life. Some people can't do it.

A friend, who raises her grand-daughter shared some dark secrets about her marriage last night and now I refuse to let my DD8 have sleepovers at her house anymore. She said he's said several times that he wishes he could blow his brains out and he is emotionally abusive to her and gets really jealous when his SD meets with guys (almost like he likes her in a gf/bf way). I feel bad for her and I hope this is the year that she makes some changes and gets rid of the garbage but I'm not serving my kid on a platter to this guy and I definitely don't want her to be there if he decides to commit suicide and take his family with him. I just plan on offering to have her DGD stay with us instead. I just don't know how to tell her that I can't allow it anymore.

My dad bought me a new car when I was 18. My parents broke up before I was born, we all lived in the same small town. But my mom would always call him for rides. He hated it. She refused to get a license because she didn't feel like she needed one when we live in a small town. Yet she was asking people for rides almost every day. If anyone said no (because ya know...people have plans or jobs, and she always waited last minute to ask..expecting people to drop what they're doing to drive her somewhere), she would berate them, calling them names and lecture about how selfish they are. My dad basically bought me a car so he wouldn't have to drive her around anymore. I worked the night shift, it sucked going to bed at 8 or 9 in the morning and having my mom screaming at me at 11am calling me lazy for being asleep at that hour and selfish because I wasn't up and ready to drive her somewhere even though she never told me she needed a ride that day. She would say "I shouldn't have to ask, you should just know when I need a ride somewhere. You're so selfish for making me beg every time I need a ride". I had no idea I was suppose to have psychic abilities. When I moved away from that town 6 years ago, it was a relief that I no longer had to drive her anywhere. And a year ago I stop talking to her all together because she would still emotionally and mentally abuse me.

My mom was verbally and emotionally abusive to be starting when I was about 8. I tried to talk to my dad about it, but he would always brush me off. He got very angry one day after I was an adult and said "I want you to stop telling people you were abused" My parents passed away a few years apart, mom first. Dad finally acknowledged about a month before he died that mom was not very nice to me most of my life. Not sure if I should go for therapy or just forget about it now.

No matter how much support, love, positive encouragement I give you there will always be a part of you that finds something else to worry and stress out over. Maybe how I support you isn't helpful to either of us because I feel emotionally and mentally drained. Feel like giving up and getting some space.

When it comes to unwanted children in this world, there is always going to be a bigger need for homes than people who are willing to adopt. I applaud anyone who decides to adopt kids from anywhere. Any kid can have emotional problems, whether they are from overseas orphanages or from the foster system here. There are always going to be difficulties you have to deal with, but isn't that the way it is when you have kids period?

I am so tired of my son crying all the time. He gets frustrated, and starts these full on melt downs. Right now he is in the middle of the mat at karate class and he's going to get sick if he doesn't calm down. He tells me he wants to do this stuff, but then he cries when he gets here. He's not a baby anymore. I wish he wouldn't be so emotional.

The theme of the week kind of made me tear up a bit. Sometimes, I do wish I could call my mom when I need her. But it wouldn't do any good--she has emotionally checked out of our lives and doesn't really care much about our problems anymore. It's really sad.

I guess I was more stressed than I realized. Woke up this morning to a swollen muscle between my shoulder blade and spine and i think it's pinching a nerve too. It's keeping my movement restricted to a very short range of motion. I so need to learn to emotionally disconnect from stressful situations. I can't wait for the muscle relaxers to kick in. No such thing as a lazy Saturday around here! Gotta be able to get moving soon. Too much to do.

An abuser husband can really sour a woman on men. It seems like there are more abusers now than when I was a kid, but maybe people are just talking openly now about a nasty little secret that used to be kept within the family. I am glad awareness is being raised. No one should have to live with a man who demeans and devalues her. Click OMG if you've ever had an abuser husband or boyfriend - emotional, financial or physical. Just curious how many on here.