Yes, seven children seems to be a lot of kids to have in general -- let alone when both parents are enlisted in the military. OTOH, if this situation came up and there were *only* 2 children involved -- the ones the ex-wife is trying to take custody of -- would that really make the situation that different?
Two kids -- or seven -- the grandma taking care of them no longer can, and the ex-wife wants the kids. Quantity doesn't change that there were alternative arrangements made and they fell through.
Is it a poor life choice to have so many children when both parents are in the military? I think that either way, having parents in the military can be incredibly hard on children. Army brats never have it easy -- I know because my cousins were and they were constantly being asked to pick up and move and lose friends; lose roots. Sometimes I wondered if anyone in the military should have children at all given some of the stories I've heard.
That said, the woman in question has served for 7 years. That's over half of her 12 year-old's lifetime. I wonder what sort of impact that alone has had on her kids... If she's served honourably and the kids are in good shape, does that change anyone's opinions on the board?
Really, the question for me comes down to what benefits the children. They are the ones who are going to end up getting screwed in the end either way, it sounds. "Lose your mother and go to foster care because she went AWOL, or go to the ex-wife." The family sounds like it could get torn up, with 2 children going to the ex-wife and the other 5 to foster care due to the mum's AWOL.
In all this, what the hell happens with the father? Doesn't he have any rights to his children's custody even if his wife goes AWOL?
no subject
Yes, seven children seems to be a lot of kids to have in general -- let alone when both parents are enlisted in the military. OTOH, if this situation came up and there were *only* 2 children involved -- the ones the ex-wife is trying to take custody of -- would that really make the situation that different?
Two kids -- or seven -- the grandma taking care of them no longer can, and the ex-wife wants the kids. Quantity doesn't change that there were alternative arrangements made and they fell through.
Is it a poor life choice to have so many children when both parents are in the military? I think that either way, having parents in the military can be incredibly hard on children. Army brats never have it easy -- I know because my cousins were and they were constantly being asked to pick up and move and lose friends; lose roots. Sometimes I wondered if anyone in the military should have children at all given some of the stories I've heard.
That said, the woman in question has served for 7 years. That's over half of her 12 year-old's lifetime. I wonder what sort of impact that alone has had on her kids... If she's served honourably and the kids are in good shape, does that change anyone's opinions on the board?
Really, the question for me comes down to what benefits the children. They are the ones who are going to end up getting screwed in the end either way, it sounds. "Lose your mother and go to foster care because she went AWOL, or go to the ex-wife." The family sounds like it could get torn up, with 2 children going to the ex-wife and the other 5 to foster care due to the mum's AWOL.
In all this, what the hell happens with the father? Doesn't he have any rights to his children's custody even if his wife goes AWOL?