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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Co-parenting. Am I being unreasonable

43 replies

MLou1990 · 22/06/2020 20:40

As me and my ex live so far away he has to travel to see our son. He’s always stayed in my spare room while visiting. I’ve recently suggested he gets his own accommodation, air bnb for example. For various reasons! Apparently I’m being unfair?

OP posts:
AnneLovesGilbert · 22/06/2020 22:18

Okay x post on the first part of my reply.

Does he pay maintenance? Is it really wise for your son to have a relationship with someone you think is so awful when he doesn’t know he’s his father?

MLou1990 · 22/06/2020 22:24

@AnneLovesGilbert

If you expect him to book a hotel then you should at least be prepared for him keeping your child overnight, or for the weekend.

Agree. How old is your child? Why doesn't he go to London to stay with his dad?

Also, are you saying your child doesn’t know who his dad is? He thinks he’s spending time with a friend of yours? That can’t carry on forever.

At the minute he needs to prove he’s capable of looking after him overnight. The last time he did it went horribly horribly wrong and right now I don’t trust that my son is in safe hands with him overnight. He’s 3

DS knows he’s his dad what I mean is he’s currently not a father figure. When his dad is here with us he takes a back seat which means I still have to do everything. It’s a combination of I’d like them to separate me from their relationship and also I’d like to when he’s around have my own freedom for one weekend a month. Which doesn’t work if they’re in my house

OP posts:
TwiceAsNice22 · 22/06/2020 22:28

I don’t think the fact that you moved away should automatically mean you pay for his accommodation or for half of it. If you had been doing the majority of parenting (while together) it makes sense you would move to be near family support. I also think it’s not sustainable long term for him to stay with you (for all the reasons you stated). And it sounds like the cost isn’t the issue for him, it’s more the convenience of having you doing the bulk of parenting during the visit.

Reluctantcavedweller · 22/06/2020 22:33

I don't think it's relevant that the OP moved away. I know people always make a huge fuss about one parent "deciding" to move away from the other, but the truth is that the RP often has little choice, especially if they've been living somewhere expensive like London where they can't afford to give the kids a decent life on their own now there's much less money. Often the RP needs to move somewhere cheaper or closer to family to do the best for the children. I don't sense in this case that the OP's ex was lining up to be the "resident parent" if the OP decided to move anyway and leave her son with him (the OP refers to him as being not very "hands on" and her being lonely and still doing most of the parenting on his visits). It doesn't sound like he would have provided much day-to-day support for her and her son even if they'd stayed in London. So she'd be parenting pretty much on her own in an expensive city with no family support. Are people seriously suggesting that he should be allowed to essentially keep her "prisoner" in London, parenting alone and potentially unable to afford a decent lifestyle for her son, when he sounds like quite an uninvolved parent?

There's a reason why the RP is usually allowed to relocate when cases like this go to court...While, all things being equal, it is in children's best interests to have frequent contact with both parents, it is also in their interests to have a decent standard of living and a parent with sufficient social support from friends and family to parent properly, especially where the NRP does not have a history of being particularly involved. Interestingly, the courts are much more willing to refuse permission where the NRP has been an equal "hands-on" parent actively doing half the parenting.

OP, I don't think you're under any obligation to let him stay in your spare room and I think it's bad for you in terms of moving on...However, depending on the age of your child (I don't think you've said how old he is), your ex should be having him for weekends by himself, including overnights unless your son is very very young. Otherwise, he'll never learn to step up and be a proper parent and build a proper relationship with your son. Depending on your financial situation, it would make sense to contribute to flight costs/accommodation if you can afford it to maintain the relationship, but I don't think you're obliged to do so if you can't afford it. That's on the assumption that you're the one mainly responsible for the financial costs of raising your son and your ex is paying minimal child support. If so, you're already doing your share.

Reluctantcavedweller · 22/06/2020 22:35

Sorry, cross-posted. I see your son's 3. If I might ask, what do you mean by horribly, horribly wrong? If your son was in physical danger, I can understand not allowing overnights but, if not (for instance, he was just very upset), you do have to step back and let your ex learn to be a parent.

Waveysnail · 22/06/2020 22:36

Stay at yours and you stay with parents when he comes over?

AnneLovesGilbert · 22/06/2020 22:36

It doesn’t sound like a good set up for anyone. Is your 3 year old really benefitting from a relationship with this man? If he’s so unsafe, I don’t doubt you on that, why would you comfortable with them going out for the day without you? He’s barely more than a baby, I’d be very wary and worried.

By “badly wrong” do you mean he put your son at risk? Would an external agency consider him a safe person to have care of your child?

SoloMummy · 22/06/2020 22:45

Do you pay for the flights? Are you going to pay for the accommodation? If so, yanbu and gp ahead. If not then really you should have thought about this before moving his child so far away!

Flyingagainstreason · 22/06/2020 22:51

I think it sounds totally reasonable if he can afford it. He’s not some dirt poor father. And I would question why he wants to stay in your house.
What does he get out of it.

MLou1990 · 22/06/2020 22:52

When I say horribly wrong, it was an extremely irresponsible situation. I don’t believe he’s a bad dad he just makes poor choices. I’m willing to allow him the overnight stay in the future just right now it’s too fresh.

I feel this is also why we need to put in place a separation between me and their ‘father/son’ relationship otherwise we’ll never grow from his bad choices and he’ll never be truly responsible, if I’m always there.

OP posts:
MLou1990 · 22/06/2020 22:55

@SoloMummy

Do you pay for the flights? Are you going to pay for the accommodation? If so, yanbu and gp ahead. If not then really you should have thought about this before moving his child so far away!
It should also be said I have taken DS over to London to visit his dad - paying for my own flights I moved so far away for the benefit of everyone including my son - my ex was completely in agreement this was for the best. Borderline relieved 🤷🏻‍♀️
OP posts:
Daftodil · 22/06/2020 23:09

I can sympathise. My DC's dad stays with me when he visits. Because it's my house, he gets all the fun bits of parenthood like playing and painting etc while I get all the boring bits like cooking, cleaning and hosting etc. Because he is here so rarely, he has a lot more energy of a weekend than I do as he doesn't have any of the mental load of parenting. Because I'm doing all the boring bits, DC's dad seems like this incredible fun force which I then have to hear about for the next 6 weeks. I think it would be different if DC saw their dad in a location where he had to juggle food shopping, meal preparation, and cleaning whilst entertaining the children. Not to mention he doesn't have to think about acquiring resources for craft activities, stocking baby bags with spare clothes, nappies, snacks and drinks, changing the baby's nappy while entertaining the 3yo, keeping the 3yo quiet while settling the baby for a nap etc etc etc. We are also good friends and it's nice to see him when he comes up, but it would be lovely if at some point in the future I would be able to go out with my girlfriends and have a night off from it all when he visits rather than having to play hostess.

But... my eldest is 3yo too and I think this would be too young to be staying overnight somewhere with someone he sees so rarely.

Reluctantcavedweller · 22/06/2020 23:15

It sounds like you've done enough... There is no way you should have this man staying in your house if it makes you uncomfortable. He needs to decide whether he actually wants a role parenting your son, rather than simply tagging along. Yes, the distance makes it tougher (and more expensive) but his greater financial resources and lack of caring commitments the rest of the time mean he should step up.

I suspect it will be too much effort for him and he will ultimately drop out of the picture (sorry OP if that's not what you want to hear). Does he pay child maintenance (sorry if I've missed this)? If not, you might want to get that sorted.

Heresanothername · 22/06/2020 23:16

I'm.in a similar situation in that I divorced and left London for my home town. I moved for family support, cheaper housing and good schools. We split during my pregnancy and my exh is not very involved (his choice) . My ex husband moved back to his eu country. When he visits our dd he stays in a b&b. He sees her for meals, not overnight as he doesn't want this. He refuses to pay any maintenance but even if he were paying full maintenance I wouldn't have any qualms in him meeting the costs of his own travel and accommodation, they are not expensive. From London to NI is presumably cheap Ryanair flights, particularly if booked far in advance.

I resent that I get no break the 3 or 4 weekends a year my exh visits, as I am doing all the parenting and I don't want to spend the week end with him but he doesn't want to take any parenting responsibility. DD is 5 and would not want to stay overnight with him.

Reluctantcavedweller · 22/06/2020 23:21

really you should have thought about this before moving his child so far away!

Was the child living with him ever a possibility? If not, she hasn't moved the child away from a committed, involved parent.

What the matter had gone to court and the OP had decided to move whatever the court's decision? Would her ex have stepped up and been the main parent then? Doesn't sound like it.

Reluctantcavedweller · 22/06/2020 23:22

but he doesn't want to take any parenting responsibility. DD is 5 and would not want to stay overnight with him.

Why don't you refuse? Does your DD get anything out of the visits (i.e. are you doing it for her sake, in which case that's totally understandable)? If not, maybe say you're busy?

Heresanothername · 23/06/2020 00:01

@reluctantcavedweller

I don't refuse the visit as it is literally 3 times a year, ex husband and his parents, dinner at a restaurant for 2 Friday night, meet sat lunchtime2 hours, they go back to their b&b, 2 hours dinner sat night.

I wrestle with whether no contact would be better than the current unreliable and inconsistent contact (he didn't contact us for 2 years !) but at the moment,

I think it's in DDs interests to meet and know her father and grandparents. I expect the visits will stop when elderly granny who is paying for the flights and b&b dies. I feel if I refused contact DD would feel she missed out and perhaps build him up to be some kind of hero. He isn't, he was emotionally, financially and then finally physically abusive to me. I consider his refusal to provide any finacial support DD as finacial abuse of her as well. She is entitled to financial support from both her parents

Reluctantcavedweller · 23/06/2020 00:05

@Heresanothername

Sounds like it sucks but I totally get your reasons Flowers.

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