Hi, I'm a very strong resilient person and just keep looking forward towards the future. Personally my well-being is really great and I ensure that I remain positive and keep investing in what is best for the family. I've been a pillar of strength helping my partner through this situation, remaining calm, focused and ensuring we are doing everything which is in our control and in the best interests of his daughter. It's sometimes been a struggle on our relationship due to his ex's abuse towards us both, but with my continued support in this situation our relationship as a couple and family grows stronger. The major affects happens on my partner emotionally, but we work through it using mindfulness techniques and doing things we enjoy. But he knows and the little wins along the way is our love and support which help us through some of the tough times. ... View more

  Hi @Struggletown    That’s quite a situation you’ve got there. The dilemma looks to be that you’re concerned that if you support your partner disciplining your children that it could affect your relationship with your two children (now and into the future). You wrote “I am a chill and laid back lady. I have a lot of patience”, and so my question to you is: why do you need to change your discipline style at all? There are many children out there who would love to have a mother who has a lot of patience. And changing your discipline style now — when your children are 15 and 10 — might be too late in the day to implement. Firstly, your children already know your style of discipline, and for you to change your style now will be too noticeable. If you side with someone whom they consider ‘mean’, then you by proxy also become ‘mean’. If you stop defending them, then they will begin to feel less protected and less supported in your house. Therefore, and by default, the only place where they would feel protected, and supported, would be at their father's house. Secondly, if you were to change, then you will know within yourself (on an internal level) that you’re not being your genuine and authentic “chill and laid back” self. So not only are you causing conflict with your two children, but you’re additionally causing an internal rift within yourself — all in an attempt to appease someone else's abandonment issues (for which you aren’t responsible at all).   Kind regards, SkyBlue ... View more