"I can’t remember when Mummy and Daddy ever really liked each
other. Uma, my sister, said they did when she was little, before I
was born, but that was a long time ago.
Daddy doesn’t live with us anymore so we don’t get to see him
much. He’s living with Nanny until he gets his own flat; but we
can’t stay over at Nanny’s ‘cos she says mean things about Mummy.
Daddy rings us every night but sometimes Mummy will get cross with
him and hang up before we’ve had a chance to talk.
I don’t know why they don’t like each other anymore. I sometimes
think it’s my fault as things seemed to go wrong after they had me.
I think Uma blames me too. I can’t speak to Mummy or Daddy about it
‘cos I’m worried they’ll say it is my fault. Even if they didn’t, I
probably wouldn’t believe them.
I sometimes talk to Miss Hunter, my teacher, about my family. My
friend Kate’s parents split up a few years ago so she understands
too. Her family all went for some sort of counselling together
which Kate said was really good as it made them all listen to each
other and talk without shouting. Kate hoped the counselling would
mean her Daddy would move back home, but it didn’t work out that
way.
I think my family should have counselling too, not to get Mummy
and Daddy back together (I don’t think that’ll ever happen) but it
might make them listen to me and Uma a bit more. Especially now
they are talking about where we are going to live and how often we
see Daddy.
Mummy said we might have to move house which might mean changing
schools. Them splitting up doesn’t just mean Daddy doesn’t live
with us anymore; our whole lives are different. I don’t think they
get how hard this is for us."