I agree with you, OneLostGrl. In my case, hindsight has nothing to do with it. My child didn't kill anyone, but she was going down a very bad path.
My oldest daughter was murdered when she was 18. Just a short year later, my next child started having 'issues'. For a while, I played the enabling game, mostly because I was terrified of losing another child. But I knew it was the wrong way to go, and even though it was one of the most difficult things I have ever done in my life, I refused to let my child walk all over me anymore. I was on the edge of a nervous breakdown so many times I lost count. There was no hindsight for me, no, every day was a horror, wondering if my child was going to end up dead.
So to you, Paddie, yes, I will judge. Looking the other way, covering up, pretending things are not as they seem, not standing your ground and forcing the issue, that is the easy path to take. I know, because I did walk it for a short time. But it was selfish, it was about me, and my child deserved better than that, and as the parent, it was my job to provide it. My daughter is doing very well now, and she has a great life. She is not on drugs, she is not an alcoholic, she is not homeless, etc. She has a good job, a great family, and she is very happy. On my part, it almost cost me my sanity and my marriage, but it was worth every minute of it to be where we are today. Had I continued on the road the A's chose, I know it would have ended tragically.
Lanie