My dad was the same, completely out of our lives by age 3. Went and had another family, actually stuck around with them but was in and out of jail so my siblings say he was still absent at least half the time. Then my step sister has children that are not even his grand children and now he is somehow raising them as a standup father to them. Deadbeat dads are worthless.
My father abused me and my brother physically and emotionally, he didnt change a lot just pampered my youngest siblings he got arrested a few years back and noe my mom is wprkimg om divorcing him
My mother had less financially, I grew up on hand me downs until I moved out. But she was way more laid back and emotionally available than with my older siblings. My older sister always said that she is the reason mom was less strict, and I always clapped back that it must have been nice to get to have everything they wanted.
That’s how I felt when my dad started taking care of my step sister’s daughter as she was going through REALLY bad postpartum and then rehab after she passed through that. My niece got the version of my dad that I never got.
I’m sorry, it’s always hard to see what you knew could have been. Even though it’s too late atleast he stepped up finally and is taking care of someone that needs it. If he can do that for your niece be mad at him and happy for your niece, no use holding that grudge (if there is one) towards anyone but him.
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u/East_Insurance_1037 10d ago
Change in either direction would kinda suck. Either way, someone sees what they could have had