Quick poll please, WIBU here?

[DianaOfThemyscira]

Ex is due to have DS today, it is the last weekend of the month, and he has him Sat and Sun.
Today is DNephew's 4th birthday, and he is having a party that DS has been looking forward to for two weeks. Ex is well aware that the party is happening, DS had been refusing to go to EX's house in case he missed the party, so we (me, ex and ds) have had lots of conversations about when the party is to persuade him it's OK to go to his dad's, he won't miss the party.

Today ex text me "Where and when am I getting him?" I say "Dsis address, party ends 6pm"
He's gone off on one saying he knew nothing of the party (so why ask where and when he's picking ds up?) and has said "I will be at your door at 6pm. Have him ready"

I say it it his responsibility to collect ds from the party, he says I have to trek all 3 of my kids 2 miles in the snow, leaving the party early in order to be at home for him coming.
Our written agreement states "UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES Ex will collect DS from home address"
This is not a normal weekend, as ds has a one-off birthday party to attend. Who IBU, YOU DECIDE (in a Geordie Big Brother accent)

[NeedlesCuties]

The ex is BU.

[Imnotaslimjim]

HIBU, as long as you are sure that he knew about the party. Tell him he is welcome to go to your house but DS won't be there to be collected as you're at the party you said you would be at

[Schmoozer]

If things are not amicable between you both parents,
Then i think its better to stick to the letter of the written agreement,
Or there is always going to be something to conflict about, which is not good for the kids.

[DianaOfThemyscira]

He most definitely knew about it, even DS says his dad knows. We had many conversations about it being THIS Sat.

This is just what ex does, every time. Stupid me didn't put it in a text or email to prove I told him, I stupidly didn't expect a kick off about the party.

[Lovelygoldboots]

He should go to the party. As a parent you should do what is in best interests of child no matter who has parental responsibility. Why should your ds have to suffer? You need to come to an amicable agreement otherwise you will both upset him.

[diddl]

Of course he should go to the party & ex should collect.

Is it much out of his way to do so?

Could you all stay since it´s at your sister´s?

Then take your son home after the party & ex collects then from you at whatever time?

[KenLeeeeeee]

HIBU

[DianaOfThemyscira]

diddl we'd normally out stay our welcome at dsis's for as long as we fancied, so long as DCs all playing nicely. The "end" time of the party is for party guests, and not close family IYSWIM?

[fluffypillow]

He is BU, and it is very unfair on your DS. He needs to grow up tbh.

[Pigsmummy]

Tell him straight that if he comes to your door at six then you won't be there as someone needs to collect DS! He is BU

[WhereYouLeftIt]

"we (me, ex and ds) have had lots of conversations about when the party is"
Of course it is your ex that is being unreasonable. Does he really not realise that if he messes this up, DS will become ever more reluctant to go to his?

I'm guessing this sort of thing is why he's your ex.

[Shelby2010]

YANBU Just text him that he can either collect DS from the party at 6pm or your house at 7.30pm. His choice.

[helenthemadex]

it all seems very unfair on your ds to miss out on something that he was looking forward to, but effectively your ex is loosing half of his short time with his son and probably resents that.

Would it not have been possible for you to bend a little to for the sake of your son, could ex not have had him last night on the understanding that he took him to DN party and picked him up after

its so hard for everyone in situations like this

[DianaOfThemyscira]

Ex has ds 3 nights a week, AND sat and sun of last weekend of the month.
As I say, it's a one-off.
I do bend, all the time, but it's obviously too late now to make arrangements as you describe. If this had been suggested I probably wouldn't have agreed to it anyway, as ex would have made sure DS didn't get to the party.
I think that if this party was at DS's friends house, ex would have no problem collecting him. He's just acting the controlling arse because it's my Dsis.

[TalkativeJim]

Here is what I'd reply.

'As you know, we spent some time discussing the fact that the party was this Saturday and that DS would be going and you would pick him up. Do you know why? Because before that DS was refusing to go to yours this weekend as he was afraid that you would prevent him going to the party.

Sounds like your son's instinct not to trust your word and to know that you'd put your wants ahead of his welfare were spot on.

I won't be leaving the party early to have DS here for six, partly because I at least don't plan to go back on my word to him, but also (stupidly) because I'd also like him not to start thinking of his father as a nasty piece of work. I'd have thought you wouldn't want that either, but it seems that throwing your weight around is more important to you.

Ever heard the saying - you reap what you sow?

There'll come a day when I stop caring what DS thinks of you. I could do it today - make him leave the party early, telling him that I'm sorry but Daddy has changed his mind and won't pick him up at the end after all. Harsh lesson to learn - maybe he's best learning it now? Let me know if you'd like to call and discuss- maybe you can persuade me to do that. Needless to say, next time there's a situation like this, I'm sure you'll understand when DS flatly refuses to go to yours.

[helenthemadex]

Diana it doesn't say that in the original posting only that 'Ex is due to have DS today, it is the last weekend of the month, and he has him Sat and Sun'

my response was based on that information, trying to be fair and see things how he may be seeing them

At the end of the day your son wants to go to the party, ex was/is aware of that so if you have previously agreed between you that your son would go, I would stick with that and text back saying the party finishes at xxx you can either collect him from dsis or we will be home at xxx as previously agreed between ds, you and I

I really would resist the urge to be confrontational it just leads to more problems from experience

[lovelyladuree]

All that notice and no-one thought of just changing the weekend DS goes to his Dad's this month

[DianaOfThemyscira]

Hello again, I text ex and told him I would drop ds off after the party, as I had managed to dig my car out and get it onto a main road (despite two cars being abandoned on my street!)

However, DS refused to leave at 6pm, so I left it for an hour (I let ex know) then left the party. I took ds to his dad's. When he answered the door he called me an "ignorant cunt" and started shouting about all the step dads I've paraded around DS. This is all in his head. There has been no-one else.

DS refused to get out of the car, ex was shouting and swearing at me, and inventing all these men IN FRONT OF MY 3 DCs, so I really can't blame him. He pulled the driver's door open and shouted more abuse at me. Eventually he stepped back and allowed me to close the door, but punched the window with full force. I'm gobsmacked it didn't smash, esp as the window was only halfway up. Kids are very shaken.

I've text him to say I won't be doing hand overs at his door again, and I don't ever want him at my door (he came on Thursday, as I was getting something out of the car for DS, ex blocked my path back into my house, was in my face and wouldn't let me past. On Tuesday and Sunday he came up and kept kicking the door and shouting abuse through the letterbox) so he'd better arrange for a third party to sort out hand over for contact.

[Emilythornesbff]

Poor thing.
I would speak to someone about managing contact with abusive ex p.
Your own solicitor if you have one, or somewhere like women's aid of you don't.

[Emilythornesbff]

Also, call police in event of future outbursts.

[DianaOfThemyscira]

Thanks, I didn't think of WA. I have thought about a solicitor.

[Convert]

Yes, ring the police if he behaves like this again. He sounds like a wanker. Poor you.

[ZillionChocolate]

I think you ought to call the police about what happened today. It ought to be recorded, even if it's not investigated. It sounds like it would be worth you seeing a solicitor.

Your ex was wholly unreasonable and his behaviour was inexcusable. I do feel that you didn't help matters by leaving the party late. I'm not sure how old your son is, but I don't understand why he was in a position to dictate when you left the party. You should have been prioritising his contact with his father.

[DianaOfThemyscira]

I let him stay longer as he said he didn't want to go to his dad's. I'm not going to force him to get in the car when he doesn't want to go. I thought that if I allowed him to party himself out, he would go willingly.
I know he'd have resisted and resented if I'd said he had to leave enjoying himself to go to his dad's.

This was a one off, for his cousin's bday, it's not a regular occurrence.

I don't ever tell him he HAS to go to his dad's, I try my best to persuade him. He has a great time when he is at his dad's, but is sometimes reluctant to go at first.
He wasn't dictating what time we left, we left when the party came to it's natural end and the rest of the family's kids had got their coats.

[montage]

I don't think your son, or your other children, should have to be exposed to that (obviously).

If your son has to go to his father's (he does not sound like he wants to and your ex is aggressive), is there some other person or way to do the handover?

I would certainly speak to WA.