If you are the daughter to this man and realized your dad stole your savings money, how will you react?
Daughter or son, I'd feel bad about it when I am on the right age and this savings that should be used for my future and emergencies have been spent to gambling. I won't be like him but we look up as kids to our parents and that's why he has to be responsible. While it's not the end of the world but this dad needs to do the better and change for the betterment of his relationship with his wife and children. Addiction is hard and getting out of it takes time and that's why I'm wishing that this dad will choose what's best for the family and not only for his triggering factor when he wants to gamble. He can continue to gamble but make sure that he still prioritizes his family and never touch funds that's not his.
Children looking up to their parents does not mean they hope to grow up to become like the parents, looking up to parents simply means, depending on them for love and care, which are what children needs as they grow up, choosing to become like your parents after growing up or while growing up is a seperate thing altogether.
And like I believe I've pointed out before, a gambling addict have less control on this own decisions when it comes to gambling, at a point where the man have become addicted, it's now part of his responsibility and that of his family to help him, the wife and children can not sit and fold their hands and expect that man to find solution to his problem all alone, they (the wife and children) will suffer bigger financial problems if they refuse to contribute to help the man gain immediate freedom from the addiction.