Activities on ex's weekend

[smuggler]

Was just wondering if anyone has any experience of their child wanting to do a weekend activity/go to parties on their dad's weekend but him refusing to take them?

My seven year olds father has eow contact and has always refused to allow her to do an activity she's really wanted to do for almost four years or attend birthday parties if they fall on his weekend. In the past I've negotiated swaps for best friends parties but it always comes with a load of grief from him. I'm fed up with being the one to run dd around to parties etc on my weekend while he gets eow uninterrupted with her but doesn't actually do anything with her. Dd is upset that she can't do the activity or go to parties like her friends.

We don't have a contact order in place. The activity is from 10-12 on Saturday mornings. He recently started collecting her from school on Fri. He lives half hour away. I want dd to be able to go to the most important parties and her activity and for him to facilitate that on his weekends. Previously he's said that if dd wants to go to a party on his weekend I have to drive to collect her from his, get her dressed for the party, supply the present, take her to and supervise her at the party, then collect and return her to his. All with my toddler in tow. It's impossible and ultimately ends with me getting the blame for her missing the party.

I'm thinking of saying that he needs to respect dds wish to do the activity and either collect her Fri and return to our town on Sat for it or collect her after the activity and return her to school on Monday instead of Sunday at 2 p.m. as usual. I also want him to listen to dd if there's a party she wants to go to and take her himself. Are these unreasonable requests? If he took me to court, does anyone have any experience of what the outcome might be?

Dd is a strong swimmer and gymnast and wants to train and compete in these as she gets older. Her dad's refusal to support any activities on his weekends means that'd be impossible which I don't think is fair on dd.

[Theoldhag]

It is not unreasonable for your dd to wish to go to her friends parties and other activities however when she is with her dad on his contact weekends it is up to him as to what activities they do, or not. As annoying as it is there is nothing you can do about it. So for your own peace I would just not factor these events in unless she is with you.

I do empathise with your feelings about this issue.

[clam]

Tough though it would be to implement in the short-term, I would leave it up to him, but perhaps point out that it won't be long before she decides she doesn't want to go to his at weekends if it means she's missing out on stuff at home.

[SharpLily]

Exactly, clam. If this goes on she'll be the one kicking up a fuss, so point out to him that it's in his own best interests to play along if he wants to continue seeing her.

[smuggler]

Surely it's being a parent though to have to work round your child and their interests and commitments rather than have them work around you? By the time she's old enough to have a say in not going to his it'll be too late to begin training for anything she's interested in. In the meantime, it'll be me who continues to get the blame for not going to get her from his and ferrying her back and forth. Seems so unfair that he can just opt out and ignore what she wants to the detriment of her.

[Bonkerz]

It's difficult one. We have Dsd every weekend and have done since she was 18months old. She is now 12! She has missed out on parties etc but it hasn't 'damaged' her in any way. She has grown up accepting that her time with us is special and she sees her friends all the time. If it's a special friend she has stayed home but it's been very rare. She lives in a different county an hour away though so we could never have honoured invites or activities anyway. TBH as the step parent and absent parent (DH) we would have been very annoyed if her mother had tried to dictate how we should spend our time with DSD! We would never to that to DSDs mother!

How would you feel if the father dictated what YOU did when you had DD?????

[Monetbyhimself]

It is deeply unfair that your childs life is being dictated in this way by an NRP.

With the Saturday activity, if he continues to be a selfish man, then I would suggest mediation to try and rearrange contact to facilitate this if possible. You may be able to come to a solution but if not, in a few years time Dd will be able to vote with her feet anyway. DD plays a seasonal sport and when she is selected for the team she doesn't go to contact. This is approved in the contact order.

With birthday parties etc, ex is required, again as part of the order, to make reasonable efforts to facilitate the children attending. Again my eldest is old enough to make her own decisions. The younger ones know that they might not be allowed to go, but they also know that it's based onvwhat their father says and it DOES have an impact on their relationship with him. Contact weekends do not generally go well when they are forced to miss a party in favour of sitting in their rooms bored stiff and avoiding Ex and OW arguing

It is si frustrating that your Ex is playing this game. But in reality, without a contact order, there is not a massive amount that you can do until DD can make her own choices.

[MeMySonAndI]

Ok thet's strange... My stupid phone hasansged to copy snd post a podt from another thread, that wasn't mine and I didn't copy. Should remember not to use the damn phone for mumsnet or while half asleep.... Off to ask for post deletion.

[Monetbyhimself]

I think the biggest issue us rhat NRPs believe that contact is 'their' right when in fact parents have no rights and the children are the ones who have a right to have a meaningful relationship with a parent. I know Dd would love her dad to be the ine standing on the side lines cheering her on and it's so bloody sad for her that his desire to control our lives means that he won't do that for her.

[Monetbyhimself]

It's an issue for NRPS who believe their rights are the priority.

[Bonkerz]

DH is the nonresident parent but NOT BY ChOiCE it was the woman who took the children and left Dh for another man so I think the comment about NRP is unfair. For 12 years now we have had DSD EVERY weekend and half of all holidays and we alternate birthdays and Christmas and new year. There is some negotiation needed BUT at no point should EITHER parent dictate what the child does on the other persons time especially when it's only EOW! That time is precious even if they do nothing but spend time together!!!!!!! As resident parent you have every week night to arrange extra curricular activities and I'm sure DD will learn to understand (as my DSD has) that parties on daddies time unfortunately will be missed!

[Monetbyhimself]

Thankfully not Daddyofone. I can only dream

[Monetbyhimself]

Lol Bonkerz. You prove my point beautifully. In amongst all your !!!!!!!!!!!! you fail to acknowledge that the Ops daughter is the one who would like to attend this specific activity. It is clear that your husbands child is resigned to doing what she's told during contact time. I would be concerned about the long term implications of that. Very often in separated families, children bend to the will of the adults in order to avoid any more acrimony. As children grow and develope they become capable on independent thinking and you can't control them for ever. They also carry the knowledge that they missed out in special occasions with their friends for no other reason than daddy/mummy won't be told what to do

[Monetbyhimself]

Ansolutely Serobin. I think missing out on somd stuff is par for the course. Mine have had to miss some activities on non contact weekends because of family weddings etc. What is potentially damaging is the NRP who refuses to facilitate ANYTHING because they see contact as THEIR time.

[MummyAbroad]

my ex happily takes DS to parties he has been invited to on his weekends if its is possible (i,e, they haven't made other plans) and of course sometimes its not convenient so they don't go, the same as happens sometimes on my weekends. If one parent is consistently refusing to take them, that is unfair to the child, as its not putting their wishes first.

A therapist once advised me not to make excuses for ex's behaviour if it wasnt up to scratch. ie. when he is always late, dont blame the traffic, when he is shouting, dont says he is stressed etc. She said to let the children find out who their parents really are for themselves. smuggler I think your daughter will work out for herself that what is happening is not fair, and you will have to comfort her in her disappointment (she is lucky she has a great mum who DOES care about her interests) but ultimately you cant force your ex to be a better dad. You reap what you sow, his relationship with here will eventually be affected, but that is his problem, not yours.

[Bonkerz]

Just to add that DSD does swimming lessons here and Also does a amateur dramatics class here. She can't actually do the show she will be rehearsing for as it's fallen on a weeknight when she is with her mother. That's just how it is. She also misses out on parties if friends she has here! Especially in the summer when we don't see her for 3 weeks :0(

[Meglet]

XP was told at mediation that he needed to be flexible to allow the dc's to attend parties or visit relatives. Their needs and little social life came first, parents second. (Needless to say XP refused to be flexible, got arsey with the mediation officer, asked to leave and hasn't seen them in 5yrs).