This is quite a thread, and I thank you for posting it. I relate to a great deal in it. I find difficulty in the program as a mother of young children attempting recovery, as a wife who stays at home and has a life based on husbands hours, and income, at the moment. I don't like being told how powerless I am when I already feel powerless. I work it, I try - but this is a stumbling block. Not knocking any programs, I do have a great love of AA. But found myself feeling less then at certain points (no matter what twists I have put on the words) because of it.
I had trouble with the simplicity of 'bring your kids, some older or other memer (often worded as 'grandmother') will take your kids for you' when the reality of the need is to be able to be me and not mother, wife, homemaker - these are issues not so common to others out there (men and women) in todays society. Plus - how many times have I (outside of meetings, but in the world overall) been cast into the role of caretaker simply because I am used to it?
I find it inetesrting that in the rooms I meet more women who came to sobriety after their children were grown, and a few before they had children, but not so many with small children.
Probably got off the point here, so sorry. But all three kiddos strated fighting while typing lol and sent me on my own train of thoughts