It’s true what they say: “Small children are small problems, big children are bigger problems.” I raised two children: a son and a daughter. My daughter married a good man, they live in prosperity and have two children. They have been living in Italy for more than thirteen years. My daughter often helps me financially.
My son Peter is still in search of himself. According to him, he wants to change his life, but so far he hasn’t succeeded. He also often likes to drink with friends. At such moments, I simply do not recognize my Peter. And the worst part is, I can’t do anything about it.
He invites his friends to my house and drinks for my money. Later, Peter whines about how he is tired of this life and that he wants to have a wife and children. I feel very sorry for my son. After all, his peers have been raising children for a long time. After graduating from high school, Peter decided that studying at a college or other educational institution was a waste of time. So he decided to live a carefree life. I asked him so many times to finish at least a part-time education, but he refused. Eventually, I managed to persuade my son, and he entered the university. In his second year, Peter met Victoria. Six months later, he proposed to her. They were both students, had no jobs, and of course, no money.
Victoria’s parents began to poke their noses into their children’s relationships because they were unhappy with my son. Because of this, Peter and Victoria began to quarrel often. Instead of taking charge, Peter just gave up. I felt sorry for my son, so I started giving him half of my pension.
Later, everything started to get more expensive, and I didn’t have enough even for myself, let alone to help my son. One day Peter asked me for my pension card. He promised to return it next month because he was planning to get a job. My son did find a job as a security guard in a supermarket and worked there for a week. However, he later decided that the salary and working conditions did not suit him. So he became unemployed again. I called him to me and said: “You know very well that nothing in life comes easy.”
He took my pension card and wasn’t even going to return it, explaining that he needed the money more. Then Peter said that as soon as I asked him again for my pension, he would give the card back, but I could forget about him.
It’s good that my daughter helps me with money every month. I recently got a job as a janitor. I don’t see my pension in sight. Peter still leads a wild life and has no intention of changing anything.
I decided not to tell my daughter about it. I am afraid that after this truth their relationship will deteriorate. Then I will lose two people. My son, because he will definitely stop talking to me, and my daughter, because she will not approve of the fact that I have been silent about everything for so long. I love my children very much and I don’t want them to quarrel. I wish my husband was still alive. Everything would be different.
I still don’t understand where I made mistakes in raising my son. Why did he become like this? I don’t even know what to do now.
