to families with abusive husbands

This is how I'm dealing with my children and their drunk-aggresive-yet loving dad. I am not sure it is the right thing to do, but this is how I can survive:

He's not home much, when he is, he is either "relaxed" through alcohol, or mad pointing out at all the things I didn't do, or didn't do good enought etc. agressive, you know.

My 8 year old used to ask me to divorce him. Now she thinks it's not so bad since he's not home much, she knows that, if one day her two younger sibblings feel like her and talk to me about divorcing dad, then I'll do it. right now they are too little and love him to death. They don't see the whole thing.

My 5 year old prayers include asking God once in a while, for Dad to turn nice so he doesn't go to hell. And my 4 year old, when he gets into trouble knows he'll have consequences with me, but he always asks me not to tell daddy.

I protect the kids, we do lots of things together, I have dedicated nurturing time for the 3 of them together, and for each of them individually. I work full time but still manage to take one to ballet, another one to karate, and the third one to horse back ridding.

I joke saying that I am a single mom with a husband. Not what I hoped for, but I'm keeping the kids safe and making the best of it.

Hope this is helpfull to some of you in the same boat.

(((Gloria)))
Your strength still amazes me and I think of you often.

Jessica