DC is 4. We live a distance from ex husband. Divorced when DC was a baby after DH found someone else more fun to be with while I was pregnant and after. He displayed awful behavior after our split including telling me every time he saw me he wanted to smash me in the face.
It's always been a difficult relationship since the split but I have always encouraged the relationship between DC and the ex, despite him showing lack.of interest and effort consistently and not sticking to the court order re number of visits etc. Rarely facetimes/calls. This has been going on for some time (years). He's now decided he wants to see DC every 8 weeks but for bit longer which I'm trying to accommodate but means i do a really long journey one way instead if a halfway drop. I recently found out he let's DC ride a scooter without a helmet. I have asked him to use one and that I would even send the one up I have here each visit. His reply was that doesn't want it, he won't be getting him one and he shouldn't be protected from everything in life, he feels he should be exposed to danger from a development point of view and that as a father that's his job as mother's don't really do that. It was the same with ear defenders with the fireworks....I was inducing anxiety. DC's friends have had some nasty head bumps from falling from scooters, saved by their helmets. I can't understand why you'd even take a chance on it. I feel.the only way is to go back to court and I don't even know if that's something they would look at.
Be interested in your thoughts please