Daughter just threw in the towel

<p>M3, so sorry about the accident. Even though I have not posted since page 1 of this thread, believe me I have been thinking of you and your daughter, and all you have been through, and had read everything until this morning. Many others have said things that I would have said, so I just kept reading, and not posting.</p>

<p>Accidents are very upsetting, I was in two small ones last year, both not my fault, and without bodily injury, but upsetting to say the least. I am sure your D is upset, and it is lucky that you could come to help her. (I don’t keep collision on my old car either.)</p>

<p>There are so many people all crowded into NJ, and everyone is rushing somewhere (including me), that the number of accidents must be very high.</p>

<p>M3 – A person who can’t put down the cellphone while driving – and who insists on texting while driving is a hazard to everyone. This time it was (you hope) just property damage and loss of your vehicle with no collision insurance. Next time it could be the life of a child. I hope that you and your husband are able to stand firm and refuse to enable her continuing to put others at risk. </p>

<p>I had a family member who drove like a maniac. She eventually pawned her car, and then called around to family members trying to get us to pony-up the money to get it out of hock. We uniformly looked on this as a gift from heaven that got a dangerous weapon out of her hands before someone was killed. </p>

<p>She’s not entitled to a car, and certainly not entitled to drive recklessly. If there is a lawsuit, you can be sure that cellphone records will be ordered, and if it shows that she was texting at or right before the accident, that is going to be a big problem. In our state, it is a criminal offense.</p>

<p>

Totally agree with this. Its called splitting. Dont let her do it . I also agree that I was sadly disappointed (not surprised, but disappointed) that there was not even the slightest honeymoon period. She is back to her abusive behaviors. Why are YOU the one leaving the house? It needs to be HER. NOW. You can kindly offer to transport her belongings (limit the amount and what you are allowing her to take) but there needs to be a deadline as to when this offer expires. Do not offer to drive her to see places. Do not let her drag her feet. That has already happened. Today is Jan 6. I thought you had hit your limit on new years day. Please, for your own sake, stop the insanity.</p>

<p>M3-Hi, I’m pretty new to this board, but have been following your thread from the beginning. You have been through so much. I don’t have any advice, but just wanted to let you know that I’m sending positive thoughts your way. Hugs to you.</p>

<p>When my patients are this stuck and unable/unwilling to change their patterns, I ask them to think about what they are getting out of it. There has to be a reason you and your husband are maintaining your resistence to putting your foot down. To be perfectly honest, I find myself frustrated by the fact that this has been allowed to continue. New years day was Saturday. Today is Thursday. The locks could have been changed several days ago. What is it going to take for you and your husband to not only say “enough” but to actually DO something?? Does she know that you will not follow through with any of the limits you have said you are going to impose, so she can ignore the empty threats and continue to abuse you? Apologies, but that is what it looks like.</p>

<p>I agree with jym626 in #525. It’s time.</p>

<p>I have known way to many kids who have used drugs and their parents are totally sure they are not. Including one friend who is a recovering addict himself.
As long as you keep doing for your D what she should be doing for herself your lives are not going to change. Use this accident as the wake up call for everyone that change has to happen.
Many, many people live their lives without a car. I live in a rural area and the laborers and housekeepers who work on the properties manage to get to work. They ride bikes, they walk or get rides. They do it because they want and need the work. Your D has had all the warmth and perks that you as parents have provided for her. It is time for her to develop some humility.
Your D will demand that you fix her transportation problems. It is up to you to decide what you want to do. This accident will cost you money now and down the line. As the owner and payer of the auto insurance you have the right to see the tickets. If she refuses it would be a clear sign to me that she needs to find her own solutions.
Since your D is moving anyway this will be an incentive for her to find a place that is close to her university or on public transportation line. She can find another job.
If an adult had such an accident, no one would come forward to give them another car unless they could pay for it. That is logical consequences. You cannot go into a car dealership without money and have them give you a car just because you need one. Life doesn’t work that way. You gave your D a car to use and she had an accident. Regardless of fault she no longer has that car. her problem not yours.
What we have told our kids regarding giving them a car to use. It is our liability as owners of the car to make sure it is being driven with care. If we feel that the car is not being used in a safe manor we will take it away. Not to punish our children but to protect the innocent people they might hurt.
Take care of yourself. You deserve to be healthy and happy. Do not let your D run your life or destroy it.</p>

<p>"If we feel that the car is not being used in a safe manor we will take it away. Not to punish our children but to protect the innocent people they might hurt. " </p>

<p>There’s nothing wrong with a punishment in this case. This kid is behaving like a child. An abusive brat of a child. She doesn’t deserve a car paid for by her parents even if she hadn’t gotten into an accident. The fact that she DID get into an accident because she was fiddling with her phone just reinforces the point that she can not drive a car.</p>

<p>Momma3 - Let’s forget about your D for a minute. Please make an appointment for yourself tomorrow. Get your blood pressure checked. Discuss whether you would benefit from some anti-anxiety meds. Once again - you can control what you do - your daughter, well that is a different story. I am so worried about you. This child has pushed you to the very limit of what you can endure. Pack your bag and stay overnight at a nearby hotel. Please just take care of yourself.</p>

<p>M3, Sorry that you felt criticized by my comment. It must not have come across as I intended. I was just trying to make a point quickly. The point was that keeping emotional reactivity to a minimum is helpful in these situations, although most of us would certainly experience heightened emotion (driven by worry). I haven’t had a chance to keep up with recent posts, but it sounds like many of us are encouraging you to let your daughter experience the process of solving her logistical problems. This allows you to stay supportive, but less involved in the problem-solving.</p>

<p>I’m also starting to think your daughter is dealing with something more serious…drugs, alcohol, eating disorder, rape, abuse, bipolar…something. But to protect yourself, don’t let your husband provide new wheels for her. Until she’s better able to manage her emotions, she shouldn’t be driving. I think I might tell your daughter that if she makes a joint appt. with her therapist with you AND your husband and if she gets serious about getting help to change her life, you will consider allowing her to live home or help her live away. If not, she’s on her own. She should know (and I’m sure she does, you’ve been an amazing supportive mother) that you love her, but won’t live like this any more and hope she decides she’s ready to change. If she agrees to see her therapist with you and your husband (you and your husband should go together first to develop some cohesiveness in your thinking)…you should tell the therapist what’s going on…car wrecks, abusive behavior, etc. Part of my daughter’s therapy on the front end was a drug test to rule it out as the source of her erratic behavior.</p>

<p>M3 - I am so, so sorry. It never seems to end, does it? No advise from me, just a little love.</p>

<p>eddie…you’re probably the smartest of all of us. No advice, just sympathy, is welcome when a good mom is faced with this stuff.</p>

<p>If I gave you my daughter’s phone number, could you please tell her that I am smart? She says I’m inappropriate, I ask too many questions, and nobody wants to talk about what I want to talk about.</p>

<p>Eddie–Gimme your d’s phone number! You ARE nice! However, I don’t think M3 needs more nice. She has received an abundance of sympathy, which she needs and deserves. But now she needs, IMO, to buckle down and do the work of setting her daughter straight.</p>

<p>I read much at the beginning of this thread, missed the middle and jumped in again at the end; the result of this partial reading is how much worse things have become. I am very, very sad for you. </p>

<p>I agree with so much that others have said and I think there may be issues of substance abuse to investigate but first of all - you and your husband need to take care of yourselves! It would be wonderful if the two of you could go away for the weekend together to regain a sense of perspective on where you are and what course of action the two of you will take together - moving your daughter out on Monday morning seems the best and most logical course to me, but the important thing is that the two of you find the peace to unite your efforts and regain your sense of balance as a couple. You will need each other to get through this.</p>

<p>OK, someone please help me understand this whole scenario.</p>

<p>The OP has been talking about these problems since last summer (and before). Other than bringing her home from her LAC, what actions have the parents taken to command action from the daughter?</p>

<p>When you read this thread, I see lots of ‘plans’… she has to move out, she has to drop out of school, she has to stay home, she can’t have a car, she must have a car, she has to get certain grades, she has to find a roommate, and on and on and on. It seems like there’s an action plan du jour. But other than moving her home from her LAC, no other consequences have been brought upon her.</p>

<p>Upthread, I mentioned an umbrella insurance policy. This is exactly why. She does not care that her reckless behavior could cause bodily harm to someone else (obviously she doesn’t care about bodily harm because she has physically abused her mom - there, I said it, let’s not avoid talking about the big white elephant in the middle of the room), but who’s going to be held financially liable for her behavior? Mom and Dad. </p>

<p>momma-three - this may be very painful to ask yourself, but what if the driver in that other car had been one of your sons? How would your resistance to following through with consequences make you feel then? After months and months and months of venting on this board and trying to understand the hows and whys of who she is, nothing has changed; in fact, my bet is you’d say it has gotten worse? Is the serious injury or death of someone else going to be her bottom (or yours?). </p>

<p>You’ve not mentioned any appointments or any recent communication in general with her therapist or your own. Why is that? Are you afraid of what they’re going to tell you? I think as of about four weeks ago, everything else in your life should have been put on hold while you did everything in your power to schedule an appt. to try to resolve some of this. I think you are frozen in your fear.</p>

<p>Also, sometimes it’s easy to pick up more on a story by what is not said, as opposed to what is said. Correct me if I’m wrong (please point it out), but I cannot say I’ve really read anywhere that you and H can agree on a course of action, or that he’s been of any helpful support to you. Sounds like you get more support from your sons, of which we all know, will be abruptly cut off soon when one moves and the other returns to school. I suspect there’s a huge void in the marriage when two parents can’t sit down and agree on what priorities they need to set in order to keep themselves and others safe. She will divide and conquer if she hasn’t already. </p>

<p>Jym626 has asked a number of times what date has been set for a move out and you’ve never answered. And soozievt has suggested numerous times that you meet with the counselor now; I think these actions warrant an emergency meeting of which a therapist should be willing to flex some hours to facilitate a plan. But you don’t seem to have taken any initiative to do this (perhaps you have and you just haven’t shared it with the CC board). And yes, it was also asked what you are getting out of all of this. People don’t continue to collude with someone’s destructive behavior without getting some benefit for yourself. Honestly, your inability to stand up to her after all this time and all these threats is beginning to look like the poor battered wife who refuses to leave her abuser because he says he’s going to change. </p>

<p>Sorry if this is harsh, but I feel like I’m just saying what so many others here have been trying to skirt around, and after today’s incident, how bad does it have to get before you realize your role in it?</p>

<p>Nevermind.</p>

<p>^^ momma-three NEEDs to read that post. All of it. Perhaps more than once.</p>

<p>TAKE ACTION.</p>

<p>You tried everything any great parent would to help her on this, and a LOT more… and she repays you with spiteful assault, and demands for more money, etc. Sorry to say, but she’s on her way to jail time if this continues (and hate me for saying this, if you like, but it’s pretty obvious to any external observer of this situation).</p>

<p>I’ll say what I see most post here are implying, but too polite to state bluntly:
“You have to do your daughter a favor, and kick her out of the house. Not next month. Not next week. Now.”</p>

<p>Her health and safe judgement is not your responsibility any more. She’s an adult, and she must be held accountable for her actions starting NOW.</p>

<p>As it stands, it sounds like your daughter has practically no boundaries or accountability… at least not in reality. Sure, there are words spoken, but at the end of the day, is she facing consequences for all her actions?</p>

<p>Keep in mind that D has been home from her LAC for 1 1/2 years. Some progress was made according to mom but obviously there is still a ways to go. </p>

<p>I am also confused m-3 because last week you said you had insisted that temporarily your D stay with friends until other plans could be fleshed out. It does not seem that that has taken place and I don’t know if you backed down or what but she is not going to take you seriously if you do. Right now, she is walking all over you. Her attitude after the accident is shameful. I can’t tell if the accident was truly an accident or due to something she did that was inappropriate, such as use of her cell. But surely she should have been sorry about it, or even shaken up by it!</p>

<p>I also believe you have a therapist, as does your D. Things have come to a head. A plan of action needs developing and implementation as soon as possible. I think professional intervention would help particularly if your H is not onboard with you or you have difficulty sitting down with D (such as her walking out on you or some such). It really is time. </p>

<p>Your life is in upheaval. And surely it is not in her best interests to be allowed to continue in this same way without boundaries and consequences, not to mention she needs to move toward independence after 1 1/2 years at home. I believe your D is in winter session at her school and so having her move before spring semester starts is important for many reasons but also now that she needs a place to stay on campus or near school and it has become untenable at home. </p>

<p>If you feel frozen and at a loss or if your H is not on the same page, please seek a counselor who can help you implement what needs to happen. It will be for the best in the long run for your D no matter how much she complains and will be for you too. It will likely even be better for marriage as there are daily conflicts over your D.</p>

<p>I will add that I do feel sorry for you and it is easier for us on the outside looking in, rather being in your shoes. By the same token, whatever you have been doing is not working and your life is hellish and you should want to take a new action as soon as possible.</p>