Thank You Chapter Forty

One of my readers and lovely fellow bloggers suggested the ToughLove organisation which I had never heard of.  I researched it and they don't have regional groups only in Sydney unfortunately but that website led me to a thing called Parentline where you can phone up and discuss parenting problems.  The woman on the phone was wonderful and I told her the situation with Emily and she suggested we go to family counselling at Relationships Australia.  She said there might be a bit of a wait but I figured it couldn't hurt to check into it.  So I rang them and told the woman the story and said that I think family counselling might help us.  She went away and spoke to a counsellor and rang me back and said they thought that it would be better for the first appointment that just Emily and I go.  She got us an appointment in Wagga for next Tuesday!  AND they waived the normal fee.  I am feeling a bit more hopeful as I knew once she got home we'd all try and get back to a normal life and some peace and order but that it would inevitably happen again unless we did something to change it.  It's also great because Phill and I need marriage counselling but like a lot of men he won't go.  By doing this and calling it "Family Counselling" maybe the two of us can get some help too.  So thank you CF, you sparked off the chain of events that might just lead to a breakthrough with Em and some long overdue help for our family.
When she gets home, they are en route now, I am going to have a talk with her and set some new ground rules.  She will get no phone credit or spending money if she refuses to go to school, if she continues to put her brother down, and if she is rude or abusive to any of us.  I am going to tell her that I would prefer she wasn't friends with Kim  but I can't stop her, and Kim is not welcome here anymore.  She sat out there with Emily during the drama adding her two cents worth through the door, she is not a very nice girl and her family is dodgy to say the least.  My mother in law has been showing her how to scrapbook, and while my inlaws probably think I'm the bitch from hell (again) the time with them might have been a good thing.  Showing her she has an extended family who loves and are interested in her.  I am going to write a letter to my mother in law explaining why I did what I did, she knows a lot of the background with Emily, and thanking her for stepping in when she did (even though I didn't think it was the right thing at the time).  We have come a long way in our relationship and were more friendly than we have ever been and I enjoy spending time with the family down there, where once I couldn't stand them.  I've learned a lot from that experience and from their loving and kind forgiveness of my bitchfest early in my marriage.
Phill has to go away to Parkes for work on the weekend and I'm nervous about being left alone with Emily.  We might all go and have a weekend away at a nice motel with a pool.
I'm tired and a bit emotionally wrung out but at least I have hope again that I can save my little girl before she gets into real trouble.
The Parentline woman wondered if Emily might have some inbalance and/or food tolerance that is affecting her behaviour.  I had never thought of that once they ruled out a mental illness so I think I might go back to the doctor.  She hates needles and has only ever had one blood test in her life but I think it might be worth a try. 
Another silver lining is the way Phill has stepped up and taken charge of things with her.  I might not have agreed with him but I admire him for doing what he did.  I think he knows he needs to be more involved in his children's lives and I hope that happens. 
Weird weather, I was standing in the hot sun hanging washing when it bucketted down rain.  Then it cleared up and rained again and cleared up and rained again and now it's sunny.  Bet my washing isn't dry though.