Well am I? My ex is an absolute arse.

I would just not respond. Any hint of annoyance plays into his hands by giving him control. Respond to any SS queries you get, but he will not go there, this is part of his wider need for control.

May I just say Mostlywilliow that your patience in dealing with some of the insane comments from rabid posters who can't be bothered to read and understand the full thread is admirable to say the least.

I wish you a wonderful holiday, blister-free from having broken in your walking boots, and the peace of mind knowing that you will come back to an intact house and kids who will appreciate you following your absence for a week!

On the bright side, at least pizza hadn't gone into the oven BEFORE forgetting about it for 20 hours 😱

Fucking hell.

The double standards on this thread is unreal.

Of course you can go on holiday without your nearly adult children (usually mums on here tell other women that they should get a break and why does dad get to go away and mum can't).

No you are absolutely not being unreasonable. Your teens will be fine and it will give them a sense of responsibility.

It disgusts me that women will tear other women down in the way that you have been on here by certain 'women', but those people will argue that black is white. Whatever you say will be wrong in their eyes. Some people need to unfuck themselves.

I hope you, your chap and your vagina enjoy the trip, make wonderful memories and come back feeling happy, refreshed and ready for the school holidays 😆

hahaha....brilliant.😂de-railing here..

All you pearl clutchers who stay glued to your kids every second of every day, look away now. DH and I had 1 night away (gasp). My DS (18 at the time) put the oven on to warm (for a pizza). Got distracted gaming, ended up going out when his mates called round (funnily enough to go out for a pizza) and came back, pissed at stupid-o-clock and went straight to bed.

We get back on the Sunday, around 1pm...oven still on and DS still asleep. Oven had been on for approx. 20 hours... At least the kitchen was warm.

I'm still traumatised when he dug the knife into the toaster, whilst it was still switched on, to get remnants out...

You have exceptionally poor reading skills.

Your poor cat never getting to meet new people. Must be bored.....

hehehehehe we really needed that. I feel complete now

My see all button doesn't work which is highly irritating. Ironically if you read all my replies you'd know 😅

Why would you think that? OP has been perfectly clear that it's a second week of a half term holiday that her ex usually has the 3 children for the week (using the actual meaning of the phrase 'half term' rather than the annoying recent development of using it to describe every school holiday 😬). And that she booked VERY early, to get a substantial discount on a holiday for 2 that cost several thousand pounds.

She was then equally clear in a subsequent post that she's booked a qualified child carer she has used before, who has taken a week's leave from her main job to cover this one.

How much do you think nursery workers are paid? Many are minimum wage and there are plenty who don't earn over £30k. I don't know what rate OP has agreed, but if she said 'would a grand to move into my house for a week be of interest?', I suspect that would turn the heads of many 20-something childcare workers to put in their own holiday fund & use in the remaining 23 days leave they have left.

Responsibilities include 7-8am waking 3 teens, administering breakfast, ensuring they put bowls in dishwasher & leave for bus. 4-10pm ensuring some attempt towards homework is done & dinner is made for them, turning away hordes of teens at the door seeking a party, turning off wifi & generally encouraging getting some sleep at a suitable hour, running dishwasher, checking doors are actually closed & locked.

2 weekend days - as per after school period but midday-midnight, give or take.

Childcare provider still gets 5 weekdays to fill as she sees fit 8-4, whether that's kicking back in a lovely home, seeing local family, going to the cinema, spending her hard-earned gains at the shops, making money in a 3rd job again recording onlyfans foot fetish output against OP's luxe carpets, or whatever.

I suspect it's more than a grand, but even at £800, it would be far more than they get in their normal 'day job' for less responsibility, and OP doesn't loose the several thousands she's already spent on her holiday (she thought XH would have the children for).

I mean, it's not the sort of money or reality I live, but it's hardly far fetched either!

That’s why you view all of the OP’s comments before you respond…

I hope you have a really nice holiday, OP. I’ve just come back from a week in Macedonia with a mum friend. We drank a lot of Macedonian wine, saw lots of orthodox churches and did lots of walking. Sounds like you have a sensible childcare solution. And social services are not going to be slightly interested in teenagers getting a bus to school. They get cross about vexatious reports, it uses up resources that are needed elsewhere.

Seriously, get a grip, they are not small kids. Plenty of of kids their ages don't want to go on holiday with their parents or even hang out with them.

As you will have understood from reading the information provided by OP, no strangers were harmed in the concocting of this plan...

and the 3 teens won't be harmed by having someone they know in the house with them for a week to ensure buses to school are caught and that they "eat the rainbow" to ensure their deeply caring father isn't offended by their diet 🙄

Yeah same 🤷🏻‍♀️

But you have got the wrong end of the stick @Zoec1975

Slowly re read the op

Whatever.its my opinion!!!

I don’t leave my cat with a stranger!

Enjoy your holiday OP, it sounds ace!

Ex is definitely an arse, and I would have been (and was) left alone at 15 to look after house and dog, and absolutely loved it. Granted I wasn’t one for sponge pudding bombs 😅 just staying up a bit later and maybe not washing up until the morning 🙄

To go on the holiday

She bought him out. He’s pissed because she’s getting on with her life and enjoying herself.

And they are not small children. 15, 16 and 17. I was married at 17. They will be fine. Social services will certainly not be interested in this.

Oh my god OP I really hope you've got some good blood pressure meds! The hard of understanding really are out in force in this thread. Have an amazing guilt-free holiday and work on developing a duck's back as far as your toxic XH is concerned. The kids will be fine and SS will have a good laugh.