Amazing, huh? Ah well, it will just take that much longer for him to recover the love of his children, if it ever happens. Even if he somehow manages to get on decent terms with them, there will always be a distance there until he can fully own up. Even THEN, he will have a tall mountain to climb. I know. My dad was a serious alcoholic throughout most of my childhood. Even though he stopped drinking about 15 years ago, it has taken this long for me to trust him. Even though he had started taking responsibility for his behavior at least 10 years ago. It is funny. I find that the men I tend to attract are those who cannot take responsibility for their behavior. If you teach your children anything, you need to teach them the importance of personal responsibility AND that it is perfectly acceptable to hold another person accountable for their behavior. I know they are getting a good lesson about what NOT to do from their father. Sometimes that can be just as instructive!!