Fallout...

Last night my boys and I got to see some of the fallout from "her" illness firsthand.

Her youngest child (who is Boo's bestest friend) was going to come to ours for a sleepover. I collected him, and then collected her, and we all went to Balmoral Beach for fish and chips and some salt air therapy.

After dinner and after the boys had all been running around and digging on the beach while she and I had deep conversations and dipped our toes in the water, her son whispered to her that he did not want to sleep at our home. He had been abnormally rude and challenging all evening, and was quite hostile to Boo and Toto. Knowing that her eldest child was having a birthday party sleepover (and had begged for her little brother to be absent), she went into a panic. I took over and her son and I went for a walk/talk along the beach.

Now.... he is like a third son to me and loves me dearly. He is normally respectful, polite and always displays amazing empathy for a boy of his age. He does have problems with anger management, but his behaviour last night was completely and utterly out of character.

I asked him why he didn't want to stay over at our house (normally he begs us for sleepovers!). He told me that he couldn't find the words to explain it, but he really REALLY wanted to be with his Dad.

That was it for me. I understood completely. He needs stability and an actively-parenting-parent. So I agreed to take him home.

My decision was based upon knowing that "she" wouldn't have coped with his upset if I had refused, and knowing that he is going through SO much pain just by having his Mum ill and in hospital for such a long time.

We took her back to the hospital and then drove him back home (half way across Sydney). We then came home .... and my poor boys finally reacted.

Poor Boo was devastated by the turn of events. He had been SO looking forward to the sleepover, and to having a friend to play with the next day during Toto's boring and long exciting cricket match. He didn't understand what had happened. He said that his friend had been rude, had shown him no respect, and that he didn't feel like his best friend anymore.

And.... he wanted to sleep in my bed (something that hasn't happened for a long time).

*sigh*

They're all so affected by this. And they're too young to truly understand mental illness, treatment and recovery.

My boys are okay today. I explained things to them last night and asked them to show her son kindness and understanding by not judging him for his current behaviour. I think hope pray they understood.