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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Aibu? Refusing visitation demands

35 replies

Ajd94 · 23/07/2017 08:01

My ex and I separated in the new year, it's had its ups and downs, was very civil whilst we were still living together whilst we sorted our finances, we have a 3 y.o and kept things very amicable for her sake if not anyone else's. In may he moved back to his mums house 2 hours away and ever since has become incredibly nasty in the way he speaks to me, which is always via message. Name calling myself, my friends and family and just general rubbish. In spite of all of this I offered the visitation arrangement of a weekend at my house fortnightly twice, and the 3rd fortnight (so every 6 weeks) I will drive our daughter to London to spend the weekend with his family. I have a spare room in my house and I am the one out of the two of us that drives. I told him as long as he keeps his "keyboard warrior persona" back at his mums house I have no issue with him staying at my house, as I said things were once very amicable. He refused my offer and said unless I am to drive my daughter on alternate 2 week rotations to London, he simply won't see her as I am "not being fair". Our daughter only saw my exs family every 6 weeks before we split, which is why I made the suggestion in the first place. To top matters off, I have reached out for support from his family, even going as far as showing them the abuse I was being sent, all of my messages were read and ignored, bar one sister who told me effectively to just agree with his terms for an easy life, the same sister went on to message me a few days later telling me they had "arranged" for our daughter to be picked up the following weekend, and will tell me the details later on. I was not consulted in this at all and again was just "told" what to do, therefore I refused. I went on to send a message stating how disappointed I was that no one had contacted me to support me or ask how my daughter was, which was again ignored. After that I blocked my exs family on whatsapp, bar him of course. As far as I am concerned, if they are seeing his behaviour and turning a blind eye, they are condoning it. it is now at the point where my ex is using our daughter as a weapon, if I go out with a friend of mine he dislikes (which he has absolutely no business disliking, I would never put our child in danger, and the friend in question, I have known her twice the duration I have known my ex (12 years) he simply dislikes her because she called him out on his shit years ago and I never believed her) he will tell me he won't see our daughter that weekend because "how dare I let her see ""that bitch"" but not drive her to see her own family?(his side). He has used this excuse 3 fortnights on the trot, which tells me that this is in no way about our daughter, but more about (still) having control over my life, a long time after separating. This is affecting her, as much as I am trying to keep strong I feel under some sort of immense pressure and don't feel like I'm being my best self with all this stress going on, 3 weekends running she has been disappointed by her dad, she is almost 4 and is very aware, she knows the days he should be coming etc, only to be let down and upset and its me that is comforting her, no 3 year old should have to feel that way, it is at the point now where she is point blank refusing to speak to him on the phone, I have never and will never say a bad word about her dad to/in front of her, but I find it so hard to encourage her to call if it means (if it comes to it) he will end up upsetting her again. I am not comfortable at this time taking my daughter to his house every other weekend, especially after their actions proving that they have very little respect for me and the job I am doing, expecting me to just "put up" with his excessant name calling. Nor do I feel I should have to on the sole basis that because I own a car, I should. A return ticket can cost as low as £9 or as much as £25 which in the grand scheme of things is not a ridiculous amount of money when you're living at home on a full time wage, I have always offered to pick him up from the stations and drive him to my house, so money isn't the issue, it's his ego. I intend on keeping my stance as I think after all the shit I have endured I am being more than fair, and I know that if it were a case this ever went to court, after everything he has done whilst we were together he would definitely not get a better offer.

OP posts:
MandateMandy · 23/07/2017 13:55

How are his finances compared with yours? I think in the other case the father was officially "unemployed".

Ajd94 · 23/07/2017 13:56

He earns £1400 a month before tax, I get student finance and child benefit, those are my sole incomes

OP posts:
Ajd94 · 23/07/2017 13:58

He also works from home x

OP posts:
MandateMandy · 23/07/2017 14:02

I think hope that this is taken into consideration. I'm sure the other waste of human tissue dad claimed he had no income at all and couldn't afford to travel. Please mners correct me if I'm wrong. Has your solicitor given any advice as to how it may pan out?

AnneLovesGilbert · 23/07/2017 14:11

I second telling him when she's available for contact and that if he's not there to collect her at the suggested times she's longer available.

He moved away, he can arrange to collect her. You never have to let him cross your threshold. You also don't have to let anyone else collect her e.g. If he sent s family member.

Apply to the CMS for child support. That's not negotiable.

Contact is for your child. Not him or his family. You sound like a lovely person. But you don't have to prove it him or anyone else. You're bending over backwards to make him be a decent dad and it's not helping anyone.

Step right back. Set up a new email address. Email him dates she's available. Don't tell her when she might be seeing him. Block him on WhatsApp. Don't reply at all to anything other than contact arrangements. Don't offer to go to court to officialise contact. Be calm, reasonable, brief, civil. Make sensible contact offers. Don't engage with the crazy. He's probably going to get bored and stop asking.

Ajd94 · 23/07/2017 14:11

that's horrible of him, but another case entirely. He has the means to come here and pick her up and he has the availability to do as he wants (he just has to make sure he's worked 35 hours a week on his laptop), he just won't. The reason I actually called the solicitor in the first place is to get some guidance on pr because I very stupidly got myself worked up after reading horror stories where (please do not take this as discriminatory,I realise how silly it is not but then it was a very real fear) Muslim families had just not given the child back after a visit. She assured me with talk of court orders etc. Much like the mn'ers on this thread I was advised to speak to him only when absolutely necessary, stick to what I feel is fair and comfortable for me, and if he disagrees he will have to apply for mediation in Nottingham, and if it can't be resolved, family court. that's all that's been spoke about so far x

OP posts:
Jenna43 · 23/07/2017 17:16

He is refusing contact then. You need to let him do his own organizing with DD. I made the same mistake as you, organizing everything and facilitating their relationship. The minute I stopped, he fucked off out of my DDs life. It was horrible having to mop up her tears and I stupidly gave him a second chance after that and he done the same thing again. So I had to mop up her tears a 2nd time and I will never allow him back into her life again now. She's better off with no father than one who is going to be in and out every few years. By the sounds of it your ex won't bother. Would it be so bad? He's already starting to manipulate your DD by questioning her on the phone. DD is coping amazingly now, she hardly mentions him but I do encourage her to talk about him if she wants, telling her that it is not her fault and telling her how much we all(my family/step-dad) love her.

SoPassRemarkable · 23/07/2017 17:35

Hopefully any judge would recognise that as a student you can't afford the petrol to drive down to London twice a month. I would struggle with the cost of that and I work!

Allthebestnamesareused · 23/07/2017 17:42

Please tell me he is paying maintenance. If not apply via CMS immediately.

It is unfortunate that in relationship breakdowns previously friendly family members will generally stick with their family member rather than the other parent.

Tell him you will grant contact on the terms you want, that he has chosen to move away and that you are open to mediation. If he choses not to see her it is his loss!

Lucked · 23/07/2017 17:47

YANBU.

I would give him the fortnightly dates for the next three months of contact and possibly offer to meet him at the train/bus station for handover. I would give him the option of FaceTime or skype one night a week and once in the weekend she is with you.

Then give him an email address and block him on your phone.

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