VENT: my child talking about suicide on Christmas Day

[*Twinkle*]

That's really quite larking Hun for a 6 year old to be saying these things let alone having a plan. What's her dad like? Mentally stable? I'd be questioning him and working together to find out what's going on. Most times kids have picked up on what one parent has said. Maybe he's said a few things to her in passing and she's flown with it thinking she's a burden to you both. It is especially alarming with him picking her up today and saying to her 'mummy's cross with me'. She's a kid and doesn't need to know these things, he should be promoting a positive relationship with you.what else is he saying to her? Separated or not you guys are still both her parents and need to be a united front with regard to your relationship. Good luck Hun, you sound like you are doing and saying all the right things.xo

[fionas]

Does he know she's saying these things?

Look, we're all amateurs here, but I would suspect that she's picking up on him saying similar things. You're obviously doing all you can to instill a strong sense of self-esteem in her, the only other thing I can think of is some activity that makes her feel she is useful to others whether that's gong to feed the ducks (the ducks need us to feed them to survive) or visits to an aged care home (you can't die, Mrs X needs us to go and have a chat with her) etc. etc.

DD1 had a phase where she talked about death a lot - didn't want me to die etc. etc. I know it's different, but I emphasised how neither she nor I were going to die any time soon because we were far too busy and talked about our future plans. That seemed to calm her down quite a lot and the phase has passed.

Huge hugs. I don't know where her dad has some sort of disorder or is just a lazy turd. Either way, not on to have a child on a custody visit and not have food in the house.

[*Efjay*]

The next time he turns up & tells you he has not done any shopping. Don't let him take her. Its not acceptable. Nothing has been signed & agreed to so you wont be breaching any visitation rules etc.

[Gigi]

i don't know how to disappoint her, she is all excited to see him, every wednesday night. He turns up, she is bursting out the door, i don't know how to say "no, you're not going now" when she's so gee-ed up. I felt like cancelling it all around 4pm, when ex and i spoke on phone and he sounds exhausted, i tried to say, you're sounding very tired, how about you see her tomorrow instead, and he vehemently denied being tired and said it would all be fine.

At that stage, after hearing about the "changing the back living area around", i knew that would take up the whole day, so the chance of him having gone food shopping was virtually zilch. bilby came in, listening to my phone conversation, so i felt locked into the existing plans. She is angry enough at me already, because i am stopping her living with daddy.