Question
To go along with the question I just submitted: My ex-wife and her family believe that I was the cause of the divorce (which I will accept to some extent) and in part because I was over-controlling and abusive (though I think having a lot of mishandled conflict would better describe a big part of the problem between my ex-wife and me). My kids, including my fifteen year old, have grown up with not only their own experience of our family before the divorce, good and bad, but also have seemed to accept the narrative that dad was controlling and abusive and bad for the kids and so that's why she divorced him and was justified in doing it and that they are justified in not honoring me, bad-mouthing me, and that I cannot control them any more. I have worked hard over the past five years since my separation/divorce at healing and restoring my relationship with my kids (and forgiving their mom and developing as good of a relationship with my ex-wife as I can). That has happened, to the extent that my 15 year old is living with me now ( though there are other reasons I've mentioned that he has wanted to live with me such as the girlfriend and not liking the country and small town life). So, in wanting to major on building a good relationship with my son, what is the best course of action for also wanting him to succeed well in life as well as correct these problem behaviors I face with him?
