I'm a true believer that kids are very resilient. But I think by that I mean LITTLE kids. Not teenagers. This thread really triggered me, I wish you could see how much so; is it OK if I share on your thread SteppingUp?
I think it is different for teenagers because they do not forget as easily as little kids do. I read your story SteppingUp and then replied while at work, and then a while later, driving home, I was still triggered. I could FEEL my Dad's finger, his (very strong) index finger, the way he would take the ******* index finger and point it, stick it in my sternum just under my chin and PUSH me while he was saying whatever nastiness was coming out of his drunk ******* face. I couldn't have weighed any more than 95 pounds at the time. I am telling you that feeling is still here and it has been at least 26 years. There is this frustration that I cannot explain. This anger that is so extreme I want to kill someone (Please note I would never kill someone, I am simply trying to explain the feeling that comes from this very physical remembering).
So yes, I agree, people recover, but SOME things you cannot recover from. Some things linger forever. This I cannot change. I want to say get your kids away from that nasty woman SteppingUp. I am sorry to tell you what to do but I feel like I need to because I am hurting. I obviously cannot make your life decisions for you.