BND...maybe all 12 year old girls are the same after all..I do think the she uses it as a crutch....The abandonement issues come not from her mother/father divovrcing but due to a relationship her mom had with a man soon after..he was a pastor living a double life..(it's a long story)anyway...she references this breakup...and says she fears me leaving..so I listen..tell her I'm not going anywhere..give them all a lot of my time..

her mom and sisters...all say she needs to start...I think they pray for it grin I have lived with emotional..hell I've lived with batchitt crazy..I've even been to a world's fair..but I've never experienced, defiant, crying, then laughing and joyful in 15-20 minutes time.....

one more issue is that I have a 4 year old girl...so the 12 year old was the baby..and now she's not..

at first I was hurt...after thinking about it...I became almost pissed..not at her..but because i felt like she used me as an excuse to get out of the discussion (argument) with her mom and 2 sisters......if you guys knew how dedicated Michele-me-the dad and the step mom were to all these kids and what we did for them..then you would see why I sort of get upset....I mean..I spent 3 nights in the last week at the wellness center with this 12 year old..just me and her..doing basketball drills to get her better for her AAU team..which she begged me to do..I mean I don't begrudge that at all..

but you see what I mean??

of course having said all that..I know how kids are...I raised a boy who is now 25....

It will all be alright in the end..I suppose...