My 14 year old niece, who hates her mother, my sister, threatens to call DCF on her and get her and her little sister taken away whenever she doesn't get her way. If my sister says no, she's not going to give her her whole paycheck that they need to survive, my niece threatens to call. If my sister says no, I'm not spending $500 on a shopping spree for you, she threatens to call. There's no reason or grounds to get my sister in trouble, but my niece is a liar who would make up something. Her & her sister already have over 30 absences from school because they skip. My sister is at work when the bus comes so she can't be there to make sure they go.
The fact is, my sister is afraid of her kids. She literally trembles when she talks to her daughter and apologizes and grovels to her for not letting her get her way because they can't afford to spend money on what she wants. It's a bend down and kiss her daughter's rings type of situation. Her daughter's threats have her in a choke hold and she must appease her to keep her from doing anything drastic. She even gives her half of her income tax check even though she needs all the money she can get, but she is paying her off in a way. Her other daughter, who is a bit better behaved, doesn't get any money.
As someone who is standing helplessly on the sidelines, I don't know what to do. My sister could be thrown in jail because of these absences and she's pretty much drowning in problems with her kids. Her ex husband had been deported to Mexico 10 years ago and hasn't been in his kids lives since, so he's no help.
I know her way to deal with the problem isn't solving anything and is instead adding to the problem, but what else can be done?
The fact is, my sister is afraid of her kids. She literally trembles when she talks to her daughter and apologizes and grovels to her for not letting her get her way because they can't afford to spend money on what she wants. It's a bend down and kiss her daughter's rings type of situation. Her daughter's threats have her in a choke hold and she must appease her to keep her from doing anything drastic. She even gives her half of her income tax check even though she needs all the money she can get, but she is paying her off in a way. Her other daughter, who is a bit better behaved, doesn't get any money.
As someone who is standing helplessly on the sidelines, I don't know what to do. My sister could be thrown in jail because of these absences and she's pretty much drowning in problems with her kids. Her ex husband had been deported to Mexico 10 years ago and hasn't been in his kids lives since, so he's no help.
I know her way to deal with the problem isn't solving anything and is instead adding to the problem, but what else can be done?