Originally Posted by
m1k3 
This is a hard thread for me to post in.
If you have drinking problems your kids know. They may not know what exactly is wrong but they know something is wrong.
By not telling them there is a good chance they will assume that they are the cause of the problem. This is very common. I remember the most common wish I had growing up in an alcoholic home, and I didn't even know that's what the issue was until I was an adult.
My wish most nights was " I wish I was dead."
This is not something you can just sweep under the carpet because it makes you uncomfortable.
I will not post in this thread anymore.
Take what you like and leave the rest.
I do not disagree that children can sense that something is wrong.
I also grew up in a heavily alcoholic family. I also remember thinking "I wish I was dead", but I also remember thinking "My parents do it, why can't I"
Children can always sense that "something is wrong" and this applies to all problems, not just alcoholism. One of the roles we have as parents is to keep our children safe from these situations in order to give them the opportunity to enjoy their childhood.
Sometimes, I feel like the alcoholism thing empowers us to give too much information.