pocononana

I haven't seen this subject address as yet - if it is I apologize. How do you explain a parent & her spouce's addiction to an 11 1/2 yr.old who doesn't live with his Mom. Especially with heroin addiction. Thanks any thoughts would be appriceated.

alight

I'll be following this thread as well. I have a 5 year old and a baby. My ah is back at rehab for the second time and I decided to tell my daughter that daddy is away at school learning more about how to be the best person and daddy he can be. I don't know what is the right or wrong thing but I certainly didn't want her to worry about him if I said we was sick.... Not sure if this was right or wrong....
I would imagine having to explain to an older child way more complicated.

cynical one

I have 40+ articles in my blog about Children of Substance Abusers. You may find something helpful there.

pocononana

I also told my 3 & 6 yr old that Mom & Dad were in school to learn some very important things. Last Night my 11 yr old Grandson called & threw me for a loop, asking me to tell him the truth about his Mom. I was crying & shaking. Telling him I needed to talk to his Dad 1st. When his Dad got on the phone, I told him he should have called me & gave me a heads up. That I really didn't appreciate him throwing me under the bus with my "Grandson". I explained I would throw any of the parents of my "Grandsons" to the curb for any of the 8 boys. He apologized. I advised him to get on the internet, just as I did and research the subject of addiction, to educate himself and then make the decision with the Mother of his son, how much he should know. It is not my place to impart this to him. All I could tell him was his Mom & her husband are addicts and were both attending rehab to get help with the problem. But it is a very had thing to accomplish. I'm not sure if that was the best way to explain it. Thanks SR for this site, it has been a great help to me.