What If Your Parenting Dream Turns Into Heartbreak?

0:00 It became unbearable to live with him and I kicked him out. He had a pencil and he said, "Mommy, is this ready sharpened?" I said, "Yes." "Okay, great. So, I can kick it in your face." >> Much of parenting is coming to terms with the fact that the fantasies we had about our children doesn't match the reality. >> It only continued to get worse. Drugs, opioids, benzodiazepines, I hardly could have recognized them. >> I don't want to have an aggressive kid.

0:27 >> There is a conscious way to cope. >> When my sons were about 16, they started a lot of alcohol and marijuana use. He's like, [music] "Oh, my mind is telling me to do bad things, but I don't want to. How can I stop my mind, right?" >> We parents observe something in our children that we don't understand. It triggers us. >> Criminal charges, homelessness, seeing them looking so unwell, underweight, that's [music] what I've experienced. >> Is he showing a lot of disturbed emotion with it?

0:58 >> He says, "Oh, I'm going to have to roll this rock and I'm going to break all the windows at school." >> It's a lot of heartache. >> I feel in the middle and I don't know how to act then. Was it bad parenting or even inhumane treatment of somebody when they're so unwell? You'll feel pulled in two directions for your love for them, but also for your safety for yourself. So, the greatest gift you've given your son is to Type the word follow to get a link to my podcast.