Dear Prudence,
I raised two daughters as a single parent by choice. I see now that children need a mom and dad, but it's too late for that. I worked many jobs to give them everything possible so they would feel equal to their friends who were growing up in two-parent households. I dipped into my retirement account many times to pay for vacations, college, etc. When my daughters were 20 and 13, I met a wonderful guy who had an older child of his own. The two of us continued the ridiculous cycle of giving them everything they wanted, such as new cars, expensive birthday parties, etc. After the economy tumbled, our income was slashed, and we had to sell our house. We are struggling to pay our bills. Our now-grown children are all employed and making decent money. My gripe is that even though they know our situation, they've never offered to help. They don't even take us out to dinner for our birthdays! How do I tell them that I'm hurt about their lack of concern and would like to be treated by them once in a while?--------------------------------
You reap what you sow, moron.