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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Should and how do I have a co parenting relationship with my ex husband ?

54 replies

Madtulip · 29/06/2025 07:32

Please help. Just signed off divorce after very long acrimonious process. Wealthy ex who hid assets / rarely saw kids etc but used threats of custody for them to get at me. I asked for nothing from
him and paid him money to keep the house - i remortgaged to do this. I stayed grey rock as much as I could. Older kids don’t bother with him much and I don’t interfere when they do. He pays their school fees and minimum other makntensnce. No extra curriculars no school trips no. There was a lot of nos. My issue is our youngest. Many years left as 2 parents. She’s a beautiful kid. She loves him sees him every Saturday and once midweek but he cancels a lot for work dos / rugby etc. I have not verbally spoken or been in same room with him for 28 months. Bar the court. I communicate by email only. Basically mentally I can’t manage anything else. So I stay away. Since divorce he’s around more - since the second we left the court. In more text contact with older kids and turned up in announced at younger sporting event. I stay grey rock but inside I’m so sick. He’s averting as if all ok and we can be pals or something. Im really confused. I want to do what’s best for my kids but I can’t really cope with the extra contact. I’ve had four emails and two unexpected sightings this weekend alone. He’s not rude etc just I feel very uneasy after all the nastiness. I’m half thinking that it’s my issue and I need to grow up or something. I’m scared and very wary. Am I being unreasonable to continue staying away from him and not engaging ? How can I fo this for rest of my life ?? I’m so tired.

OP posts:
Swimswans · 29/06/2025 08:41

Watching your thread with interest as there will be good advice coming I think.
It feels like a life long punishment for a mother. If you chose (fell in his trap) the wrong man years ago to have children with, every person around you plus the courts seem to expect you "to do wat is best for your children". With which they mean you have to put all his abuse aside and be a kind and accomodating person to someone that has treated you like shit.
How?
I have no clue.

NotWorthTheHeadache · 29/06/2025 08:46

Keep going the way you did before the divorce OP. Don’t answer phone calls unless you think it’s an emergency. Contact via email only. I ‘parallel parent’ with my DC father and have done for 10years. We don’t speak, communicate via text/email only. If he’s at an event, I ignore and avoid. Sure, it’s not ideal, but in cases of past abuse and just having an inability to coparent, it’s the best option all around.

BookArt55 · 29/06/2025 09:15

Similar situation here except both my kids are under 6. Ex does the same appearing when he wants.
I don't speak, I say hi and bye for the kids sake if he comes near me.
I now have a plan with the kids that if they are with me and ex attends, then they can go see him and I will wait. They can come over when they are ready. If they are on his time and I attend (award ceremony recently was the first occasion) I will say hi and bye, but they don't need to worry about me. Just have fun is what i tell them.
I stay well away, talk to the other parents, take a book or headphones depending on the situation (we have lots of hospital appts). I have now started to think ahead to situations where he could pop up and work out a plan for me, including the escape plan (he doesn't let them leave, takes their full attention and drags out goodbyes so the kids have started getting tears). So I wait patiently and have also before the event told them what we will do once we leave (park, film night, icecream, play cars) so they know that when we leave we have something fun to do. I do this as habit now because I never know when he will appear. It has helped massively.
Grey rock.
Parenting app is amazing for me as I turn off notifications when kids are with me. Everything in writing. You don't have to respond unless kid focused, and yiu don't have to read them immediately, every other day is fine and do it at say 8pm so you can deal wjth the messages and then distract with something so you don't overthink them all day.
Use chat gpt to make your response professional and not emotional.
Dad puts a show on and acts all friendly when girlfriend appeared at a handover recently. I ignored him besides hello and said hello to her And was warmer.
If you haven't already, therapy really helped me understand my physical and fight or flight reactions. Even just a message can give me physical reactions.
It is ridiculously hard. I'm 18months past our split, and I still get that horrible feeling. But working on having an alloted time to overthink/worry/panic and write down all of these thought and then time is up, move on to something i enjoy. It has helped and was something I learnt in therapy.

BookArt55 · 29/06/2025 09:18

Also, without trips, clubs, anything wjth extra money, I don't ask at all. I explain to my kids about budgeting and managing money in very simple terms. If I can't afford it they can't do it. I will sell their old things, speak to school about a payment plan or any support they can give, benefits, things like that which I hate having to ask for help from strangers but I won't give ex the satisfaction as he will always say no. But he will also tell the kids things like mum needs to manage her money, I give her money, what is she spending it on? And that type of thjng.

Have a look at the Power and Control wheel. It is very interesting and helps me to understand his actions and how/why they affect me.

Madtulip · 29/06/2025 09:30

Thank you for the replies so far. I was afraid I’d misposted. I’ve had years of judgements from
his and some of my own family initially that I should move on. My avoiding him has been interpreted by some as “bitter”. I’m too tired / sad to be bitter. Just need to handle this so i don’t go under with his pressures. The reasonable nice guy facade has fallen away somewhat so I have more support from family/ friends etc now but he always finds an angle. And then I gaslight myself by accusing myself of paranoia. In court I was ready for the first time in years to look him in the eye as he usually eyeballs me but he completely blanked me. I thought ok great he’s moved on and I walked out on a high thinking he’ll move on now. But no it’s all go it seems on the “friendship “ button and ill
be painted as the crazy one again.

OP posts:
Profpudding · 29/06/2025 09:31

You don’t need to be friends and you don’t need to be friendly with him.
We had a graduation recently that tells you how old my children are and I had to sit next to him so I did. He attempted conversation in the queue I’ll be honest. I just shut it down completely. Answered the questions but stuck very much to the point
Yes it was awkward but it was him that created the awkwardness with his behaviour so there we are

BookArt55 · 29/06/2025 09:44

Not paranoid. You feel the way you do and that is valid.
You can't change him, he isn't going anyway (unfortunately for you), so you have to think how you will.manage it, what you can change and how you can prep the kids without saying anything negative about their dad but protects your peace.
They say it gets easier, and I am keep our fingers crossed for us both! I have to say i do manage it better now that 6 months ago.

Endoftheroad12345 · 29/06/2025 09:44

I left my abusive ex at the end of 2022. I bought him out of the family home. It was not easy but I did it to give my kids security and continuity.

It was not an amicable split but to the casual observer, it looks like one. I host him at my home for Christmas morning. I might look like a saint to do this but it is pure self interest - I don’t want to miss out on Christmas morning with my kids, so I do all the Christmas work and host my ex for breakfast. I nail on a smile at the football sidelines and school assemblies. A couple of weeks ago it was DD7’s birthday and I organised dinner out and invited exH and his new partner. It was punishing but DD was happy that she got to have dinner with her mum and dad.

Outside of this I keep it transactional and grey rock (this has not been easy). ExH is now campaigning for more time with the kids (now he has a partner to delegate childcare to) - he has been EoW for the last 2.5 years.

Just keep it polite and transactional. What were the circumstances of your split and how old is your DD?

Moveoverdarlin · 29/06/2025 09:52

Of all the divorced couples I know it’s the ones who are on friendlier terms that the children are doing better. My very good friend (a man) divorced his wife (after she cheated) ten years ago. He won’t mention her name. His family never speak of her and he has very much done the grey rock technique. They don’t verbally speak - just text. He is an extremely kind, intelligent man who I think was hurt immensely, his way of dealing with it was to cut her off, have minimal contact with the ex, only refers to her as the ‘children’s mother’ and has closed off that chapter. But the kids are monumentally damaged. They were bubbly fun children, after the trauma of the divorce, my god they changed.

Another couple I know from school who are recently divorced, stand at sports day, not talking, to each other, both doing their best to fawn over the children. But it looks ridiculous. They’d look better, passing the time of day, chatting about the weather, the odd smile.

And I have another friend, who changes up husbands fairly frequently. She’s on good terms with most of them and their families and the kids seem well adjusted, despite the eldest two having lived with three different men by 15. I’ve always thought her attitude was very blasé but I don’t know, she’s got no beef with the husbands and all the kids seem happy enough.

I know you’re protecting yourself OP and your behaviour is very dignified, but in time it may be better to let go a little bit. Maybe draw a line under the divorce and loosen the reigns on your anger, but be very careful not to let him in again. It’s early days. He sounds an arrogant swine and no doubt will have someone else in time.

Madtulip · 29/06/2025 10:02

oh I feel so much better already. No one around me is divorced - single mums yes but from early on and amicable. Youngest daughter is 9. Why did we split - god that’s a saga. How do I sum it up now in my head - workaholic who got promoted in very traditional male environment- suddenly the kids and i were a drag on his self fulfilment quest. He spent hours cycling and trips away. He wanted me to board the younger child. It was like living with a complete stranger who wanted to CEO his family to make his life easy. He stopped doing anything with the kids and was moody / mean all the time. He became very controlling about money / my spends on kids. It was like living with Scrooge. Always away rugby trips cycling trips with lads. No OW. Final straw in a long saga was my eldest daughter had a bad cycling accident. I was on the side of a road watching the ambulance crew calling him no answer. In emergency room called him continually no answer. Five hours later after I’d sent him a picture of her tubed up he texted me to say he was on his way and was it serious. Turns out he had taken the day of work to go cycling. He arrives in washed and changed. A month later whilst juggling my work injured daughters care/on dead sisters anniversary etc he announced he was going on a boys cycling trip. I told him I was done.

OP posts:
ToKittyornottoKitty · 29/06/2025 10:02

Have you had any counselling regarding the split OP? I found it really helpful dealing with the split but also in managing myself when around ex. For me it was incredibly important to be able to have a decent coparenting relationship because I don’t want my kids to worry about me when having us both at events like plays or later when they get married etc, being able to be friendly around each other in front of the kids and not put the split on them is really beneficial to the kids if you can manage it. It took a long time for me to be ok with it and I still can’t look him in the eye but it works really well for the kids. Practically you will have to be around him when the kids have big life events anyway

Madtulip · 29/06/2025 10:11

Hi - yes I’ve done a ton of counselling but is expensive so read self help books now and well mumsnet etc ! I got the grey rock advice from my therapist who had been our marraige counsellor prior to final split. I just can’t stop that sick feeling when he’s near or in touch. It was so bad I used to lock myself in the loo after contact and take 50 deep breaths holding an old teddy. It’s not that bad anymore. I’m as skinny as a rake coz I can’t eat for hours after contact. I sleep on it then move on. Kids are great. Friends are great. Job is ok but it pays the bills. It’s just him.

OP posts:
NotWorthTheHeadache · 29/06/2025 10:17

Madtulip · 29/06/2025 10:11

Hi - yes I’ve done a ton of counselling but is expensive so read self help books now and well mumsnet etc ! I got the grey rock advice from my therapist who had been our marraige counsellor prior to final split. I just can’t stop that sick feeling when he’s near or in touch. It was so bad I used to lock myself in the loo after contact and take 50 deep breaths holding an old teddy. It’s not that bad anymore. I’m as skinny as a rake coz I can’t eat for hours after contact. I sleep on it then move on. Kids are great. Friends are great. Job is ok but it pays the bills. It’s just him.

So you need to change how you’re handling contact OP. This reaction is not normal or healthy for you.

How does contact currently work? Can you drop at the door and just leave without speaking with him? Likewise when he drops them back?

ToKittyornottoKitty · 29/06/2025 10:17

How often are you having contact that it’s making you loose weight? Can you reduce the amount? It’s good that you have improved and hopefully that continues.

Madtulip · 29/06/2025 10:27

I hope im
not coming across as a basket case. It was all manageable as I kept contact to email only and he had the Thurs evening / sat with youngest. Oldest manage contact themselves unless they ask me to assist. Which is rare. It’s just last month it’s increased from one email every two weeks ? To an email every day and texting older boys to go for a burger etc - he parks nearby texts and is able to pick up very quickly if a yes. I had a way out situation of him appearing at youngest soccer game and I did a circuit of the pitch as he edged closer and closer to me with his big sunglasses on staring at me. At the end to avoid any confrontation I hovered in the middle of the adjoining pitch until he left. I have to either adapt or ?

OP posts:
Diarygirlqueen · 29/06/2025 10:27

Nothing to help you unfortunately, but God love you.

It's a hard situation but I really hope in the near future it eases for you. Look after yourself x

middleeasternpromise · 29/06/2025 10:30

It sounds as though he still holds a powerful position in your interactions, there will be a reason for that. If you could work out if the power or threat you accord him relates to here and now or is a legacy of past dynamics that might give you a position to consider if you can or should respond differently. You must have a lot of strength to have been able to make the decision to separate and work your way through an acrimonious ending of the marriage. An important step in post divorce survival is finding ways to tolerate multiple stories. By that I mean not feeling you have to be drawn into justifying and explaining yourself in relation to alternative accounts being put forward by the other(s). Divorce proceedings put stories in competition with each other, post divorce you don't have to live like that if you are able to stand confidently in your knowledge of your experience. Then if the children ask or other people you are able to say from my perspective this is how I saw things and why I acted as I did, he probably will see things differently. After all if you could have seen things from a shared perspective you might not have needed to separate.

Madtulip · 29/06/2025 10:30

Oh and he collects youngest from an activity on the Thursday and drops back. On a Sat he collects from outside the house at 12 - she runs out to him. I don’t interact. He drops back whenever he feels like it between 5 and 8. Never confirms and I don’t make an issue as not worth the saga.

OP posts:
Stressymadre · 29/06/2025 10:38

I second the face to face counselling, I know its expensive but it honestly saved me. I left my husband in 2020 after discovering a third affair, but we only finalised the divorce last year as he dragged it out. I hate how he treated me and our kids (refused to pay maintenance to in his words, "starve us out" as he wanted the family home for him and his new pregnant girlfriend - hed known her 6 months at that point and she was 3 months pregnant). Last year he asked to reduce his time with them as his GF didn't like them being there for a full weekend EOW! At Xmas she stopped me seeing them to punish me for not being friendly enough with her... and most recently he has cut maintenance in half (he's self employed and added his GF to the business to divert his income!). So yeah... We have had a horrendous few years but my parents were divorced and it was awful and it hugely impacted me and my siblings and I swore i'd do better for my kids. So we go to school events together, he comes to my house on their birthdays and at Xmas when it's my turn with them. On the outside we look civil (although he looks mega friendly, decent guy and I look like a cold hearted, bitter ex cos I just tolerate him!) but my kids are happy (when he's not being a dick!). So if you can get support to work on how you handle it, i would strongly recommend it. I used to get physically sick when I had to see him, didn't sleep after or before etc. But now, I brush it off. X

Endoftheroad12345 · 29/06/2025 10:41

I say this with love @Madtulip but it’s very much in your and your kids’ interests for you to be able to handle interacting with him. It is not nice for your 9y.o to be navigating a demilitarised zone every time she sees her dad.

You married him, you had kids with him, you left him. He hasn’t followed through on his custody threats (they never do 🙄). Your life is presumably better without him in it (much). So why let him have this power over you? What is the worst that could happen if you let him into the hallway when he collects DD or if you make small talk with him on the sports field?

I know it’s not easy - I have literally been to the police about my exH’s behaviour - but ai try to shield the kids from that & box clever.

Madtulip · 29/06/2025 10:46

Yes I think I have to get a grip. I don’t want these feelings to control me for the rest of my life. I think it’s because every instinct in me is to literally jump on him and whack the crap out of him scream lose the head completely at what’s he done to me to date. I’m terrified at losing it in his presence and I so want to. He deserves nothing. He seems so in control. I just have to get a grip and handle it. I just have to. Oh Jesus I’ve just got another email.

OP posts:
ToKittyornottoKitty · 29/06/2025 10:49

You definitely need more help OP, his behaviour is normal, and it’s a good thing that he’s making more effort for the kids. You need to keep boundaries in place and that’s fine, but you clearly need some help doing so. Maybe the custody arrangement needs relooking at if he wants more contact?

Stressymadre · 29/06/2025 10:51

I do get that @Madtulip . I have the same and it feels so deeply unfair. I do struggle with the idea that he has treated me and the kids so so badly and he swans around in his perfect little life, going away on holiday all the time, fin nighta out and coming across as this stand up guy, whereas I struggle to balance FT work, raising our kids and finances. I come across as grumpy and bitter, I'm sure. He has told me countless times it's been years and I need to get over it. I just ignore and move on. I know I'm OK, I know my reactions are valid, I know who he really is and that is all that matters. Focus on you and what you want, take away his power xx

Springtimehere · 29/06/2025 10:59

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Endoftheroad12345 · 29/06/2025 11:08

I totally get it @Madtulip, we split in November 2022 and it was my call but I was so so so triggered by him. I held it together in front of the kids (generally) but I would spiral at texts or emails from him.

Now I treat him much like an annoying brother - he still enrages me but not in the same way - he doesn’t make me anxious or fearful any more, I think mentally I am more free of him and so he doesn’t have that power over me. Last week he had the brass neck to give me parenting tips because I told the kids I was so happy to see them when they got home and said “I’ve missed you!”. Dad of the Year says I shouldn’t say that - “that’s separated parenting 101”.

(This is a man who sent my then 9 year old son home after a weekend with a bruise in his arm from pinching him. I was at the police station logging it as my father lay in his deathbed. It has been hell.)