Mommies gusto ko lang maglabas ng frustration at kalungkutan... and hihingi na rin ng advice/suggestions siguro. Here's the situation:
Hubby has two pamangkins from his older brother. BIL and his wife have been separated na for quite some time. Now BIL has allegedly 'annulled' the marriage na, and got married a couple of years ago. BIL and the new wife now have a kid together. The two first kids from the first wife, now lives with the lola (my MIL). And BIL and wife lives in a separate place (mga 30 minutes away). BIL very rarely visits his kids. Once a month at most, and stays only for an hour - a couple at most. Pagdating sa financial support - let's just say naiiyak na lang si MIL dahil sa mga pagkukulang ni BIL. Many times, si MIL ang naghahanap ng paraan para may pangbayad ng tuition ang mga bata. The first wife gives some money din, pero hindi enough for both the kids' needs. Madami din issues itong si first wife, pero di ako masyadong aware kung ano.
Now this BIL and his new wife both work, BIL is in a BPO (officer level), so hindi natin masasabing nagdarahop sya. They brandish their pasyals and purchases on Facebook so I wouldn't say na 'gipit' sila. But, the two kids sa first wife, hindi maipasyal nor maka-bonding, pahirapan sa bayaran ng tuition fee, at sa pagbibigay for their other needs. Madalas umiyak si MIL sa amin, dahil nahihirapan na sya, she's 60+ na. Sya naglalaba, nagluluto, nagprepare ng things ng mga bata, and more often than not, nagpupuno sa financial na pagkukulang ng mga magulang, etc. etc. Yung mga bata parang sabik sa concept ng family palagi, when hubby and I go out with our kid, sinasama talaga namin, and kita mo sa eyes nila na parang masaya sila...pero di kumpleto. Ang lungkot-lungkot ng feeling, kasi ramdam ko yung heaviness. I was part of a broken family for a decade too, so I know how it feels somehow.
Ito yung problems:
1. Apparently/Allegedly, it is the new wife who's 'stopping' BIL from providing for and spending time with the first two kids. Kung bakit, hindi ko din alam. I don't know about the situation of second wives and first kids, pero hindi ba dapat as a mother - naintindihan mo ang needs ng mga anak? Na dapat sya pa ang bridge for the father and the kids to be close to each other lalo na't hindi na sila buo? Or normal ba yung ganung attitude na parang selos/galit?
2. MIL is already planning to seek legal help when it comes to providing for the financial needs of the kids. Ano kaya ang pinakamagandang gawin ni MIL para ma-obliga both parents to give the kids' needs regularly? Talking - MIL tried that many, maaany times already - and hindi talaga successful. So, next step na talaga ang kailangan.