No offense taken. The kids are afraid of my husband because he is serious and stern but he has never hit them. I think it is more like they don't have the comfort they have with their mom, they walk all over her but would never dare do that with Dad. They respect him more than they do her, all he has to do is talk to them and they listen. I agree that they are burdened with caring for their mom. It is something I feel very sad about as does my husband. According to him, she threatened to commit suicide if he ever took the kids from her. Despite her health problems she is a good mother and loves them very much, as they do her. It is all so very sad.

My youngest son (now 27) was diagnosed with ADHD in the second grade. I've gone thru hell with him all thru school. At 19 he tried to commit suicide for the first time. He's been diagnosed as bi-polar (manic-depressive). With medication and monitoring - it's been a year since he's had any problems at all. I thank God every day for his improvement.

He still has a hard time concentrating and crowds make him very nervous. He lives with me since my husband died and it's been good for both of us. He says that his step-father's death really touched something inside him and he considers it his responsibility to "take care of his Mama". He's doing really well now, but the school years were awful! Kids can be so cruel!

Bless you and your son. I see a lot of the cruelty kids do being a bus driver. So sad what pain they can put each other through.