Wisewoman, as a mother, I would want to try for guardianship and the restraining order. BUT, then there's the part of me as an outsider here saying "OK, this is how she wants it, fine, let her go and maybe then she'll see how "bad" she really had it."

As much as we want to protect our kids from not so great things, there comes a time when we have to let them make their own decisions.

With her developmental delay, would that make getting the guardianship easier, for her own protection?

I see you're so torn here, wanting to let her go for your own sanity, but wanting to protect her because she can't make responsible decisions of her own.

I wish I had a magic answer for you, but I'm just now entering the tough teen years with my own kids (the things they tell me some of their classmates are doing already just astouds me). I wanted to let you know I was reading.

Make the decision that hurts the least amount of people, is the best I can think of, because it doesn't look like everyone is going to come out unscathed.

((((((((((((((WW)))))))))))