I've been separated from DC's dad for 5 years and throughout this I have been the one who makes all the contact arrangements and pays for the bulk of the travel associated with this as dad lives a few hours away as I felt it was important they had a relationship.
Dad has always been a let down and this year hasn't seen DC because I started to ask for help with travel costs as I know he has enough money to be able to help. However he has other financial priorities due to addictions he fails to seek help for and both times this year I have tried to arrange visits he has not sent the money until a few days before despite promising it 2 months before to obtain cheaper tickets. In that time I have had to make childcare arrangements as I work PT which is not easy as my DC has SEN and cannot go to mainstream childcare activity clubs without a 121, so the visit has been cancelled. Dad also took £200 from my family member as they wanted him and his DD to come up for the weekend but Dad pocketed the money and never turned up, leaving DC devastated. Dsd also makes no effort to communicate about what is happening and for the last visit I had no contact for 6 weeks until 4 days beforehand, so I said DC could not go and returned the travel money he had just sent and suggested a day visit in September instead.
A few days later Dad puts extremely nasty, abusive and unkind posts on Facebook about me and my family. I screenshot them and blocked him.
I am now done and if he wants contact with DC it will need court and solicitors.
I have told my DC (6) that we won't see dad again and DC said daddy always lets me down anyway.
But there's a side to me that thinks am I doing the right thing for my son??