My sister (late 30s) has recently given birth to a baby who is probably affected by Down syndrome. There will most likely not be a father in the picture. She also has an 8 y.o. daughter from a different, also absent father. They live at my mother’s house in a small town. My sister has a story of emotional instability and I often fear for my niece and nephew. My sister was molested by my father when she was in her late teens. She is extremely dependent on (and at the same time hostile to) my mother. My mother (divorced), in turn, is struggling to help her and the little children, while having to deal with lack of money and her own (physical) health issues.
I (male) am the middle child, 8 years younger than my sister. I´ve lived in a big city for the last 6 years. I´m economically independent (yet also struggling) and starting a career in academia. I feel that if I don´t go back to my home town and help my family, things will deteriorate further. On the other hand, my chances of professional growth would be reduced by moving back there. Do you think a sacrifice of this sort is the right thing to do?
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posted by Basque13
on Mar 19, 2013 -
31 answers
Asking for a dear Australian friend, "Ariane" who feels she has nowhere else to turn. Any and all advice gratefully received.
"My son Henry is 19 years old and has Aspergers. He has a little brother George who is 12 and a sister Lily who is 2 1/2. We all live at home with my partner (who is the biological father of Lily).
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posted by taff
on Mar 18, 2013 -
16 answers
I'm going to be a proud first-time papa in a couple months, and I'm gearing up for the madness and joy to come. I've really enjoyed reading non-fiction anecdotes about fathers and children, and I was wondering if you had any books you might recommend? Hopefully nothing 'Chicken Soup for the ____'-ish, but more along the New Yorker-y lines of Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik and Home Game by Michael Lewis.
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posted by evadery
on Mar 12, 2013 -
16 answers
My boyfriend has a kid from his previous marriage, who is now long distance. He'll be coming to stay for a month in a few months, and I'm not sure what to do! (so many snowflake details!)
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posted by euphoria066
on Jan 22, 2013 -
22 answers
Asking for a friend (really): How do you (or did you) deal with finding out that you have an adult child you didn't even know existed?
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posted by Chairboy
on Sep 15, 2011 -
1 answer
We are visiting my wife's parents in another state. Suddenly my wife wants me to leave without her and to leave our son in her custody. Can she do this?
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posted by anonymous
on Nov 27, 2010 -
25 answers
The youngest of four siblings is the one who is responsible for taking care of their elderly mom, but things aren't really working out for either party. What can be done to ensure a happy living situation for everyone? Many more details inside . . .
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posted by fignewton
on Jul 5, 2010 -
6 answers
I'm looking for a sad story I read on the internet. A son was browsing through his father's possessions after the father's death and came across a
Pokemon game.
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posted by 2bucksplus
on Mar 17, 2010 -
9 answers
This American Life filter - relatively recently, (maybe a rebroadcast?) heard part of story re man who assisted his mother to end her life and how he felt - I've searched their archives for
mother and for
son; can't find it. Also searched AskMefi some, too many hits. Can anyone help?
posted by judybxxx
on Feb 24, 2010 -
5 answers
FamilyFilter: My family’s problems over the past 20+ years culminated into one huge fight over Christmas. I need to know where to go from here.
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posted by anonymous
on Dec 29, 2008 -
20 answers
I'd like to make matching father & son t-shirts for my husband and stepson with simple iron on letters. However, I can't come up with a witty saying for the shirts. Any ideas?
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posted by pokeedog
on Dec 18, 2008 -
17 answers
I really feel my 13 year old son pulling away from me. He text msgs a ton with his friends and just the time we spend together now is minimal.
I know this is totally normal adolescent development but it still hurts me inside.
Can you suggest things we might do together now to connect? Watching a movie with me is even hard to get him to do.
He is a normal well adjusted kid---no problems in school. We usually eat dinner together as a family and I am here when he gets home from school and usually fix his breakfast and see him in the morning for 15 mins til he is out the door.
He is my youngest child and it feels sad to not have things we do in common anymore.
I used to walk him to school in 6th grade under the guise of giving our dog her daily walk but this year that ended.
Help!
posted by seekingsimplicity
on Nov 13, 2008 -
42 answers
My boyfriend, who moved in to my house six months ago, has visitation with his 9-year-old son every other weekend and Monday afternoons. I am not a huge kid person, and never planned to have any of my own--but when I am around the two of them I put my best foot forward, engage the kid in conversation, ask him about his life and the things he enjoys, and try to do fun things with him and his father.
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posted by vegsister
on Sep 29, 2008 -
18 answers
Before I knew anything about India, I dated an Indian guy named Bitu (long i, long u: bee-too). I remember him telling me that it wasn't his real name, that it was a nickname and it meant 'son' in his language (or, possibly, 'sun'). I neglected to ask what language that was... and now I really want to know.
posted by bookish
on Sep 17, 2008 -
8 answers
I'm the first-time father of a one-year old boy. Having recently finished "The Road" and "The Prince of Frogtown" and enjoyed the movie "The Kite Runner", I'm looking for suggestions of other books (or movies or songs) that are about the relationship between fathers and sons.
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posted by Jaybo
on Aug 4, 2008 -
32 answers
Father's Day Filter: How to best handle this day for my son whose father has no contact with him because of molestation??? (LONG)
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posted by workinprogress
on Jun 13, 2007 -
38 answers
I desperately need to find a copy of Pierre Puvis de Chavannes's "The Prodigal Son."
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posted by Lisa S
on May 21, 2007 -
4 answers
Okay, this is an enormous issue and I'm not finding any resources out there for help.
I recently found my son's biological father. My son is 26.
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posted by nurse4kitties
on Apr 12, 2007 -
43 answers
Please help me to wisely assist my reluctant teenage son choose his future and take action to achieve his goals.
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posted by anonymous
on Dec 3, 2006 -
17 answers
"La Riviera Maya" (er, coastal Quintana Roo, Mexico) or Costa Rica for a Totally Awesome Father-Son Bonding Experience in March/April/May 2007?
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posted by mdonley
on May 26, 2006 -
13 answers
So I'm still angry at my mother for some things she did during my childhood. I don't want to be anymore. What do I do?
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posted by anonymous
on Mar 18, 2006 -
21 answers
Mysonhatesmefilter: Very often, My 2.5 year old son wants nothing to do with me. [more inside, if you please, Matt]
posted by anonymous
on Nov 18, 2004 -
39 answers
