Ask Amy: Rom-com might not have happy ending
Now granted, I am a recovering addict, but she doesn't see the changes that I have made in my life.
I believe I can be there as the father to our child.
What can I do to show her that I have changed and have become a better human being?
– Want to be a Dad
Dear Dad: The best way to apply for parenting-time is through your local family court.
If you go through the court, you could be ordered to attend parenting classes, take drug tests, or attend therapy before you are permitted visitation. You would need to submit proof to the court that you have complied.
If you are attempting to work this out informally, you could fulfill these same recommendations and submit them to the child’s mother as proof that you deserve visitation.
Holding down a steady job, contributing financially to the child’s benefit, and working your program are all ways to demonstrate that you are ready for fatherhood.
Dear Amy: Responding to the question from “Feeling Helpless,” the grandparents who didn’t want to pay for their grandchild’s residential treatment program, I wish you had just told them to shut up and “do it!”
– Disappointed
Dear Disappointed: The grandparents had some valid questions about mental health treatment and, because they were being asked to pay for it, they seemed to want to control the process. I hope they choose to help.
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(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)
©2022 Amy Dickinson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
