Needing some guidance... 2

[jks]

My D6 is struggling. My mom and I were talking about this... her personality has always been so friendly and downright charming. I get compliments about it all the time because she is not afraid to talk to anyone. Well, lately, she doesn't want to have anything to do with anyone. She hides behind me when we're around people and all she wants to do is watch TV when we're at home. I've asked her if she'd like to play with some of the girls in our neighborhood and all she says is, "I want to play with my old friends." She hasn't really "clicked" with anyone here and it's very different because in our old neighborhood she had 4 girls on our street (all houses right in a row next to ours) that were her age that she grew up with and loves to play with. When we go back to our old neighborhood she always asks if we can go back to our house and give it a kiss and a hug.

She acts up a lot and ignores me and talks back a lot. We've cried a lot together. I feel so awful that she's going through this and I don't know how to handle it. The sad thing is... my H probably doesn't see this side of her because when the kids are with him, he's happy. He's moved on with life and he's planning events for them to do with his new girlfriend, ie camping.

Life with mom isn't as peachy. I struggle emotionally all the time. And obviously my kids feel it.

One day she pulled a hair elastic out of her hair and said, "Mommy, this is OW's, I just wanted to let you know so you didn't think it was yours." I told her ok. (feeling kind of confused why she even brought it up and thinking, gross, throw it in the trash!) Then she said, but I love you more than her. I immediately told her, of course you do, I'm your mother and that will never change. But it's ok that you hang out with OW. I don't want you to feel like its not ok. And she said ok. Sad that she even has to explain that to me.

Another instance she saw me crying and told me that she was going to tell my H to come be with me and not be with OW because she didn't want to see me sad. I told her not to do that.

I know she is so torn. I know she likes OW but she doesn't want to feel like she's betraying me. That's why I told her it was ok to hang out with her. There's nothing I can do about it anyway, they're going to be seeing a lot of this woman. I just have to grin and bear it.

My S4 will mention from time to time that he just wants to live with me and daddy. I tell him, me too.

I have to get out of this sadness for the sake of my kids. I know this. It's like sometimes I really just have to cry really hard and they follow me everywhere. It's hard to not do it in front of them.