Hello
I’m very sorry to hear that you are having these worries. It can be a really difficult situation when your parents split up. It sounds like your dad got custody of you and your brother but that you would see your mum at weekends, is that right? I’m sorry that things didn’t work out the way you would have liked them to. You did the right thing to write about this and to ask for some advice.
Your dad has responsibility for you and your brother – that means it’s up to him to take care of you properly and to make sure you are safe and able to do well in school and any other activities you are able to take part in. For young people around your age, there isn’t really a legal age at which your dad could leave you alone. It really depends on a lot of things, like how long he leaves you, how able you are to take care of yourselves and, very importantly, if you know who to contact in an emergency.
Have you ever tried to talk to your dad about how you are feeling? It’s something that is very important to discuss with him so he does know how you are feeling about this. Where your mum is concerned, she would have to make an appeal to the courts to have them look at the situation again. You and your mum can find more information about this on the Children's Legal Centre website (or Children's Law Centre if you live in Northern Ireland) for more advice about what you can do.
In the meantime, it sounds like you could use some support to deal with how you are feeling about all of this. Have you had the chance to speak to another trusted adult about this? That could be another relative, like an aunt or uncle or a teacher or school counsellor for example. They can all give you some support to help you through this time.
Remember, that you can also always come and talk with a ChildLine counsellor too by phoning 0800 1111, or by having a 1-2-1 chat online.
Take care
Sam