Apology to Scratch

[_Mercury]

This isn't Josh. Josh is at home working on his math skills.

Comfortably dumb

[_Jersey Girl]

So while the "sorry" and all is a nice gesture, one I have to say was kind of unnecessary and tackling the problem from the wrong direction

I'm curious what you mean by unnecessary, but if this cycle is indeed familiar, I can see how it might be attacking the problem from the wrong direction. Are you saying that perhaps there is no need to express sorrow over actions that may be beyond one's direct control?

Either way I'm willing to accept the nice gesture.

Because, to continue with Jersey's stealthed metaphor, the child is still trying to control the situation rather than accept it. It's exhaustion that brings on this phase, and hence that's why after a good night's sleep, it all starts again the next metaphorical day. Apologies to some degree have been going on for a while now. And notice how we've been requested, on a heart-wrenching plea for the Christmas season, not to analyze the apology. Because someone isn't quite tuckered out yet, and unwilling to let it go.

I don't have a specific answer in mind as to what our friend should do. One scenario might have been, coming back online, insisting his innocence in a brazen lie, telling us all to screw off and leaving it at that --- hold his head up high and refuse to compromise. And then not flinch at the aftermath. I would have respected that for sure I think. But that's one of many possible outcomes.

It starts all over again until the adult consistently enforces the boundary. I doubt there are many here who are up for a trip to Mexico on behalf of one who cannot control himself. The response would be way too scattered to control. The more people feed him, the more he profits.