57 |
10,164 |
| JOINED: |
Feb 2024 |
| STATUS: |
OFFLINE
|

(12-17-2025, 06:07 PM)ANNEE Wrote: I had this experience with my first daughter and her father.
I actually divorced him because my 4-year-old asked me: "Why does daddy hate me". He was jealous of his own children. I've since learned that is quite common.
However - in my raising my autistic grandson -- I am realizing both my daughters are on the spectrum as well (genetics). High functioning autism is kind of sneaky. It is not obvious. You really need close personal evolvement to understand. I am not saying Nick is -- but its possible.
If/we had known -- her father may have been able to bridge that gap. In my experience - men tend to be self-focused. His little daughter wasn't cuddly and affectionate towards him -- even when he tried to reach out. He withdrew.
These kids need early intervention.
I've read that it was Nick that was jealous of his father, or rather he could never measure up to his father's successes...then couple that with mental illness and drug use. In the few interviews I've seen with the two of them, Nick complained that he and his father never bonded when he was young and when Rob did pay him attention that they never had anything in common. It also appeared that Michelle would be the intervener/negotiator between them, but who really knows what really went on between the three of them. One thing for sure is that Rob and Michelle tried everything but they may have been mistaken thinking that Nick was on a level plateau of dysfunction or misjudging how really sick he was.
Maybe men that haven't been nurtured or loved just don't know what to do? I see some men of younger generations being more present and loving, well within my family any way. Maybe with Rob Reiner, he was more focused on the 'provider' role rather than the 'nurturer father' role, but his other children speak very highly of him being loving, so I don't know. Maybe each child requires a different approach to bonding, affection and love (?)
"The only journey is the one within."