Hi @Stuartleeson74 Thanks for sharing. We are so sorry to hear that things are really difficult at the moment. Being a single parent is tough and can quite easily become exhausting and overwhelming. Do you have anyone who is supporting you at the moment? Whether that is family, friends or services? Do you want to share more about why you feel that you need to place your son into care?  We are an Australian service and have noticed that you are living in the UK, so unfortunately we don't have specific information about your area. Generally speaking, child protection agencies have a role in supporting parents and may be able to offer you assistance. I have found a website that might be relevant to you here. Sometimes there are also 'respite' programs that host activities for kids but you would have to see if these exist in your area. Otherwise, your local doctor would be able to answer your question and have further information including any support services that may be able to help take some pressure off you. Best of luck and please feel welcome to keep us updated ... View more

Hi @Beenthere and welcome to the ReachOut forums - it's good to have you here. It sounds like your family has been through a lot of ups and downs, I'm so sorry to hear your daughter has COVID - that must be worrying. If you would like to create a new thread of your own to talk through how things are going for you, please feel free to go here. We're here to support you.  ... View more

Hi @Gordi and welcome to the ReachOut forums. I'm so sorry to hear about the challenges your son is having with not wanting to go to school. There are some helpful threads on our forums and information on our website  about school refusal that might be worth looking at if you're interested. I notice you mentioned that your relationship with your son's dad was violent and toxic - that sounds really traumatic and it must have been a lot for you both to manage. Can I ask if you or your son have any support with that? If not, do you think he'd be interested in talking to a service like kids helpline or maybe seeing a GP for a referral to a counsellor or psychologist?   Re: mentoring programs, they can be a great option. This is the link for big brothers big sisters - if you think it would be helpful, it might be worth getting in touch with them to have a chat about what they offer. I'm so glad you came to the forums for support - we're here any time you need to talk. Please feel free to start your own thread if you'd like to. ... View more

Hey there @Nikkita, it's been awhile since we last heard from you, how have you been recently?   I'm glad that the strategy from another parent was helpful to you! Did you son end up going to his appointment with the services?    Thinking of you :) ... View more

Hi Gina He didn't go to headspace. He won't go to alcohol counselling, I've offered many appointments to him. Thank you for the Family Drug Sipport link & number. I'll check it out. ... View more

Hey there @sivaruthvik90 and a belated welcome to the forums!    Teenagers and alcohol is definitely an important discussion! I love the tips that you've shared with us, it is a great suggestion to be open with your child about alcohol and to be honest about your own mistakes :)   Thank you for sharing these! :) ... View more

Hi @Nikkita, I can hear from your posts you have been working really hard to try and set boundaries for your son and seek help for him too. I can't begin to imagine how challenging it must be emotionally when he doesn't meet these supports halfway. How have the last two weeks been? You mentioned your son hasn't been attending his appointments, have you been able to speak to his professional network to let them know about the schooling or his behaviours at home? Now that the school term is back, has the drinking and smoking reduced or has it persisted? Please keep reaching out to us when you need to chat We are always here to be a listening ear and a shoulder to lean on ... View more

Hey there @3Jellybabies, it's been awhile since we last heard from you, how are you doing?    @Nikkita has offered some fantastic advice already, Parentline can be a great resource for support and give you ideas on what you can do for your next steps.    You mentioned that you sought out the services of a counselor, was this helpful for you? It can be so difficult to support others when we're struggling and seeking support of a counselor and a gp is a fantastic step, including posting here :)  Do you think you'd be able to talk to someone at work with how you've been feeling, at least from a career-perspective? They may be able to give you some insight in how you can move forward with your work.    Something else that may be helpful for you is trying self-care, we have a couple of threads here and here about the topic but essentially it is taking some time for yourself to do something either relaxing or helpful, which could be anything from eating a piece of fruit or watching an episode of a show you like. Do you think this is something you could try?    I hope that everything is going alright, we're here to listen :) ... View more

Hey there @Lilly19, how have things been going with you and your daughters? Have you find any of the advice shared in this thread helpful? ... View more

1) Let her smoke outside. Smoking is her choice. 2) Faking mental illness, is indicative of an underlying mental problem.  3) Stand your ground more, no room for arguments. Don't fight with her. Don't let her fight. 4) Next time she threatens suicide, take her to an open therapist office or psychiatrist etc. 5) 5-7 years of emotional blackmail doesn't mean you failed as a parent. You just have a **bleep**ty kid.   Hope that helped. :) ... View more

Hey @Nikkita , it can be so hard to see your teen making choices with their friendships that you see having a bad  impact on their life. It sounds like he is reflective, and will hopefully come to a point where he reflects on how his friendships are impacting his quality of life and make changes.  ... View more

Hi there @Nikkita , its so good to hear that you went to the headspace intake, and that your son engaged well. Hopefully this means he is open to getting help, and will benefit from the counselling sessions.  Don't underestimate the support and love you are giving to him - it sounds like you are being a wonderful parent, doing all that you can. The study at that age can be really overwhelming for many young people.   It's good to hear too that he is able to be distracted from his feelings when he is with his friends.    Keep letting us know how he's going, and how you're coping. Here to listen    ... View more

I sometimes think texting is a good way to communicate with teenagers. It's how they communicate. ... View more

@Nikkita beautiful; reflection on your son - he sounds like a wonderful friend with a massive heart.  I like that way of looking at things too - going through a difficult time, rather than having problems.  ... View more

That sounds horrible. My son got a text from his ex girlfriend Friday night saying if he'd texted her what he just sent she wouldn't have broken up with him. He was angry & said he wanted to see some friends, it was 8.30pm & his friends ordered him an uber. He hadn't been out in a month. He was supposed be home at 10.30pm, then midnight then he ended up having a sleepover (I knew the mum so that was ok) but then he went out Saturday & slept over another friend's place (boy he got into a lot of trouble w last year). Police & ambulance were called when my son lost it last week. Children's mental heath services were delayed/busy & sent a msg through the Dr saying they would be another hour & probably couldn't do much but suggest he go back to the gp & get a mental health care plan. We did but now my son doesn't want to go to headspace. I was afraid that would happen. I know how you're feeling, it's awful. You want to help your child but don't know how. Sending you a hug. ... View more

Hi @Mumsa,   Thank you for your kind words, I really appreciate it. Hope all is going well for you :) ... View more