To the people saying they would have slapped the kids. No, you probably wouldn't have, if you cared about them. I was almost in the exact same situation like the children, my mom left me and my brother at an early age. Got a stepmom 2 years later that was 13 years older than me, so not that much older. But me and my brother were such assholes to her, cursing her, comparing to my real mother. But she never slapped us, or hurt us in any way. But if I would have done the same now, oh boi. Still regret being such a bitch to her, she did so much for us and "wasted" her own time on us.