It’s true that you can’t choose your family. I chose to have my son and I love him very much, but I wouldn’t have chosen his personality type if I could have had a say in that. He has anger issues and no amount of therapy or support/discipline from me has been able to change that. I really am at my wit’s end, and I don’t think there is anything I’ll ever be able to do to help him.
One of the lowest points I’ve had as a mother was when he slammed our front door so hard that it came off the hinges. I sat and cried as he walked out the non-existent door and couldn’t understand what I had done wrong as a parent. Once I had regained my composure, I called a door replacement service. Melbourne is a busy city, so luckily there are plenty of people around that could come and replace my front door. I wouldn’t want the neighbours to think that something is wrong and it’s hard to keep up appearances when people can see right through into your hallway.
When the person came to do the door installation, I told him what happened. He said this is something that comes up from time to time, and in these cases, he suggests that people homeowners get a sliding door installation instead. Apparently, sliding doors are more durable as they’re used to sliding closed automatically and are more shockproof. I listened to what he had to say and decided to go with a sliding front door instead. It was a really good suggestion because my son hasn’t broken the front door since. He’s left the house in fits of rage multiple times since the replacement, but luckily there has been no physical damage to the home.
I really hope that my son learns to deal with the anger he feels and comes out the other side. I will always be here for him, but there is only so much I can do.