I know that there were times when my exhaustion and frustration made me impatient with the kids or made me less present in their lives than they deserved. I am ashamed of how I let his alcoholism drag me down and the things they experienced and witnessed due to my ex's drinking.
After I left him I started working the Alanon program, which has made me an exponentially better mother. I am able to relax and enjoy the time we spend together because I'm not always waiting for the other shoe to drop or stressing about the alcoholic's behavior.
The more I take care of myself, the better I am able to take care of my children.