Joe

My experience with dealing with children with additional needs is very dependent on the need they have, my partners son who is 12 is happy to stay in doors play Xbox or VR and is very happy with that or using his phone if he is bored where as the elder daughter who is 16 is harder, she like to go to the fair whenever it is on and the costs can vary depending on location and deal they have, but then we have to include cost of food, transport to get her there and this can be very difficult at certain times of the month, but due to her undiagnosed ADHD she feels she should be allowed to go with her friends and this can become an issue as if we cannot afford it she will turn on the waterworks and then shut down, she goes inward and won't speak to us for hours. This has got better with medication for her anxiety which has really helped us as a family. Things can also get difficult when the children go to their dads as sometimes the daughter does not get what she wants from him and messages and calls us to try to sort it. This can be very difficult with it being her dad who has different rules to us. The added complications for us is when my own children come over and act out so they can hopefully get their own way. I try hard to be a fair parent but this can sometimes be hard when I see my children rarely.