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What a fantastic topic and one that touches my heart. I am a 34 year old single mum who separated just over 6 months ago and it has been an uphill battle to encourage my ex to continue to be the father to our 3 year old daughter, throughout the separation and into the future.
He hasn't coped well with the separation and it has been hard for me to cope with not knowing whether he is going to be there for our daughter. I don't want my daughter to get hurt and sometimes feel the urge to disconnect from him because I know she will feel hurt and abandoned if he leaves.

He has threaten to pack his bag and get out of our lives so many times. I feel that he feels so much guilt over the separation and a sense that he has failed at being a Dad. He truly believes that his daughter's life and my life will be better without him in it.
I totally disagree with this but no matter how hard I try, he has switched off from me and doesn't trust what I say. I suppose you can call it depression but labeling it doesn't necessarily give me any answers.
I have given up trying to change him and all I can do to improve the situation is is accept that I have no control over him and the choices that he makes. I can't make him stay if he doesn't want to and imposing expectations on him it will only scare him further away. My hope is that by freeing him of the expectation and responsibility of parenting that I will in some way encourage him to stay and work at being a successful Dad.

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