Chris was just about to finish his sophomore year and felt like his whole world was crashing in around him. His mum was a recovering alcoholic and had been sober for three years . . . until now.
When Chris was in middle school his mum went through rehab. When she finally came home, Chris’s dad said he would leave her if she ever drank again. Everything seemed okay until his dad took a new job this year and had to travel a lot.
During that last few months, every time Chris’s dad left town his mum would drink. It was on the sly but Chris knew the signs. He saw the thermoses in the bathroom, the “water” bottles in her bedroom. It was like middle school all over again. It was like living in a nightmare.
The hardest part was trying to figure out what he was supposed to do. If he called her out on her drinking, his dad would probably leave all of them. If he didn’t do anything, something bad could happen to his mum. He was mad and hurt and lonely. He had friends he could talk to but what could they do? He felt like there wasn’t a single good choice to make.
What should Chris do?
- What should Chris do?
- What should he say to his Mum once something is decided?
- What would you do in his situation?
- Have you or someone you know ever faced a situation where he/she had an adult in his/her life that was doing something harmful or wrong?
- What do you think is the hardest part of Chris’s dilemma?