CL, By "treat them like children" I more mean that we need to encourage them and love rather than judge and reprimand. I don't mean it from the standpoint of mothering them or putting unrealistic restrictions on them.
During my H's MLC (or whatever it was that he went through) he acted very much like a child. He acted out and did whatever he wanted despite the consquences. Then as he was trying to find his way out of it, he was very fragine, again like a child. So, there were times when I knew that I had to be very careful with him or he would run and hide. Hope this makes sense.
Belive me... at this stage in my M, the last thing I want to do is be his mother. I want to be his partner. But I also need to understand that he is not yet whole and there are parts of him that are very fragile (though he would not admit it). So, letting him know I have faith in him will (hopefully) just encourage him to continue to grow. Whereas when if I'm all over him, not trusting him (which is a conscious effort on my part NOT to do), he acts out - like a child. It's some sort of weird defense mechanism.
Married 9 years Kids 5 and 6 Bomb 2006 H back and forth for a year M now back on track
