Kid Care and Alcoholics
Need some advice. My AW and I are separated and she has been sober for two months. My boys (17 and 14) live with me and are adjusting. They see their Mom 2-3 days a week and she lives just 1 mile away. Since we are not yet divorced there is no formal custody arrangement. I travel every couple of weeks for 2-3 and have been able to reschedule my travel or have adults stay with them since the separation. Now, she wants to stay at the house this coming week as I will be traveling. The youngest is good with it but the older one is against it. I don't have family or friends available to cover this time and she is insistent. She feels "uncomfortable" that they will be alone. I truly struggle with this one.....I'm not worried about her drinking but the trust I will lose with the boys if I allow her to stay. I want her to have a relationship with them as long as she is sober but feel I need to protect their feelings and level of trust they have with her currently. I think she can be with them and check in until the evening and then go back to her place and come back and check in on them in the morning. She's only a mile away. The 17 year old has a serious girlfriend and she is using that as the excuse to need to keep an eye on the situation. I don't disagree with that but they can get into trouble anytime...anywhere. I personally think she is using this as a way to "get bac' into the house. I will be gone for two nights and think they can be fine by themselves as long as I have a plan to have friends and family, and my wife, check in on them and drop in on a regular basis. What do you think?