Straw poll.
As a parent have you ever
a) called your daughter a bitch on her birthday
b) told your child’s other parent they should die
c) told your very young daughter that daddy wants you to die
d) said “the babies can’t stand up for me or they can fuck off”
I have a complicated and blended family life. None of the above.
None of those things, as a parent of a 6 year old.
My ex however, called our son a fucking prick and fucking bastard when he accidentally broke the new TV. Along with pushing him into the sofa in anger. That was my final straw for leaving him.
He also said he wanted me to die of cancer in front of our son.
OK - so I was on the first ever AE thread way back when. I saw the very early stages of what looked to be a messy divorce and a woman coming apart. I thought it would stop after time and she’d just, you know get on with her life.
How wrong was I. I’ve not kept up to date with the threads (but have consulted the Wiki) and seen the various media reports. I am sickened beyond belief at AE. I was firmly (originally) just a spectator who thought she was grieving in a dramatic fashion, possibly a bit of two way toxic relationship, perhaps infidelity on IG part. The fact this man and his beautiful young girls have been privy to the most appalling behaviour time and time again makes me so very angry.
My ex was an angry and sometimes cruel man; but I am so lucky that I and my son never had to experience a tenth of what IG and the girls have had to deal with. I was (and am still) crushed by how my ex treated me, but through all this IG has tried to do the right thing for his girls, despite the absolute vileness he’s encountered. I have the upmost respect for him (and for Bianca) for holding their heads up high and powering through. I almost don’t feel I have the right to call myself a victim when there are people out there like IG and 2E’s with their experiences and trauma.
I sincerely hope they can all heal at some point and that AE’s disgusting behaviour doesn’t have too much of a lasting impact. I wish I could cuddle those girls, like I do my own son, and help them realise they are not to blame for any of this. As a parent, you have a duty of care and responsibility at all times to uphold their wellbeing and mental health - even when shit is hard for you. I’ve made mistakes and cried in front of my son, but I have never, ever (even when I could) spoken about his dad in anything other than positive affirmations and encouragement. His dad treated me like shit, and sometimes my son like shit, but he’s a father who despite it all, loves his children in his own way. It might differ to mine and it might not be what I expected but he’s still a Dad and I’ll always honour that.
)
). 
