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Lone parents

Use our Single Parent forum to speak to other parents raising a child alone.

how do i respond to this? i am so pissed off i'm not being rational.

133 replies

IAmBooyhoo · 12/05/2012 17:06

i've posted numerous times before about EXp and how he constantly lets the dcs (and me tbh) down wrt not turning up for contact or turning up late or dropping them back late or giving vague times for when he will be here etc.

so yesterday evening he asked what the dcs were doing today. i told him we were going to the cinema and it would be over by 2pm so he said he would ring me at 2.15 to arrange collecting them. we got out of the cinema at 1.30 so went for lunch and got back home at 2.20pm. there was a text on my phone simply asking if we were home yet so i replied straight away saying yes we are at home now. (exp lives less than 10 minutes drive away) it got to 2.55pm and no reply or sign of him so i texted asking what time he would be here for the dcs. not that's it's relevant to him but my friend is coming over this evening and i was planning on having the 'dcs free' time to get the house cleaned as it really needs it before friend can come over. he didn't reply.

i texted again asking the same thing at 3.15pm he didn't reply so i phoned and he didn't answer but 2 minutes after i phoned he sent a text asking if dcs could stay over at his house. this is the first time and he has been making excuses as to why it couldn't happen so of course i said yes and again asked what time he would be in for the dcs. we packed their bags and dcs got all excited. exp didnt reply to the message even though i sent it straight after he had texted me so he was waiting on an answer and would have checked his phone.

by 3.45pm i was really annoyed that yet again i was sitting waiting for him to arrive before i could get on and do my stuff. it is always the same always me hanging about the house never knowing what time he will turn up and in teh past MNers have suggested i just not be in the house for the day so that he is kept waiting so at 3.45 i got the dcs into the car and we went to a local harbour to watch the boats. at 4pm he sent a message saying "i dont suppose you could leave the kids out?" well i ignored it. i know how childish that is but i never ignore his texts wrt to teh dcs i always respond and i make it so the dcs can go everytime he asks even if it has meant in the past cancelling arrangements we have made but this time i thought why the hell should i? he ignores me except when it suits him to respond. about 20 minutes later he rang and i ignored it.

he then sent another message saying he had no car available. it's a glorious day here, he lives directly on the bus route to where we live and he could get a taxi, or he could walk the 1 minute walk to his mum's and borrow hers which he usually does or he could ask a friend. what he meant is that there was no car directly outside his front door that he could access without any effort. well i ignored that message too. he sent another message about 20 minutes ago saying "why exactly is it you are doing this?" i haven't replied yet. i dont know what to reply. i'm still so furious. i can't get on with cleaning teh house while 2 year old is still here. i'm so sick of being so bloody available for him to just saunter in when he feels like being a dad. no -one transports my dcs to me, i go and get them.

i was tempted to reply "have a think about why i am doing this" but that's just silly isn't it?

what so i do to get my point across to him that he cant do this anymore? i cant cope with it. it isn't fair on me. and i know thsi is about the dcs but i am entitled to be able to make plans and expect to be able to keep them. so many times i have had to let my freinds down at the last minute because he hasn't turned up and it isn't fair he gets to arrange his children around whatever else he wants to do and i get to (hopefully) arrange what i wnat to do arround my children, which is how it should be when you are a parent. he picks them up like a magazine when he has nothing else to do.

i'm just so pissed off.

OP posts:
IAmBooyhoo · 16/05/2012 11:07
Grin

ok. no reply then.

i'm so crap at this. i never know what to say or even if what i'm thinking is right.

OP posts:
fuckarama · 16/05/2012 11:07

And never ever ever say please to men like this.

Means you're asking their permission/asking them for a favour in their heads.

Just "I need xyz by abc time" or "I require the following" or something like that but never ever say please.

(my solicitor told me that one)

IAmBooyhoo · 16/05/2012 11:08

ooh i'm getting solicitor advice! Grin

i will remember that one.

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fuckarama · 16/05/2012 11:19

It's a daft thing, but it actually really helped me.

It made the contacts we had more business like, took some of the emotion out of it.

And it made me feel stronger.

Even if I wasn't.

Fake it til you make it and all that Wink

AnitaBlake · 16/05/2012 11:22

Response is 'yes the boys are busy, but i want to make sure they see you too'. We gad this from the opposite end, and court wad the best thing we ever did (ex still thinks DH was U to force her hand) she would arrange contact every weekend, frequently, she would cancel the Friday, rearrange for Saturday, rearrange for Sunday, rearrange for Monday. One week shed done this, then told DH to cancel his Monday overtime for contact, and complained that he'd taken the Tuesday evening off to go to a (long arranged, sold out) gig!

we now have a reasonable contact order, which helps immensely. Make him take YOU to court. Keep an objective diary of the whole saga, so entries would read e.g. Agreed contact pick up at 4, boys collected at 7. No reason given. Boys upset and confused at delay.

if he continues, ensure they are available say, half an hour before and after his proposed time and go out after that. Record your reasonableness in diary. Then if he does take you to court ask fir precise times and reasonable notice of contact, get the judge to define this.

IAmBooyhoo · 16/05/2012 11:25

thanks anita. i hadn't thought of writing down what is actually happening. will do that for saturday past and any future dealings.

OP posts:
mistlethrush · 16/05/2012 11:36

Make sure you add in all the texts and calls and who actually picks them up - whether its Ex or ExMiL

IAmBooyhoo · 16/05/2012 13:13

oh yes good point mistle.

OP posts:
mistlethrush · 16/05/2012 20:26

So.... any more texts or calls?

IAmBooyhoo · 16/05/2012 20:45

nope nothing.

his mum has the dcs for her contact on saturday from 12 til 4 but what usually happens when he is home is that he will arrange (i presume) with her to come for them but he will either text and say he will be in later than 12 (say 1 or 2) or he will just turn up late and he always brings them back late. sometimes she comes for them as normal and then he brings them back (12pm is too early for him apparently).

so i'll just wait and see if he comes for them and i will remind him that they are due back at 4.

OP posts:
fuckarama · 16/05/2012 20:50

If he or she aren't there by 12.30 go out.

DO NOT TEXT

Just go out.

If he didn't bring them back on time I'd call the police.

IAmBooyhoo · 16/05/2012 20:59

if no-one is there by 12.30 it'll mean it's him collecting. she's always there by 12.15 at the latest.

not sure about calling the police but i might threaten it.

OP posts:
AnitaBlake · 17/05/2012 08:30

I would definitely go out, especially if usual pick up is 12:15. Even if you get a text, just say you have plans and will be leaving at 12:30 at the latest. And then leave the house.

in fact, it might be worth texting exMIL, just to conform pick up will be 'as usual'. You can't be pulled up for thinking she's not coming if she's 30mins late for a 4hr contact session!

You need to take control, plan something fun (don't tell the boys, make it a surprise) that you can do with or without them, and head out at 12:30. You'll frighten the life out of him. If he threatens court say 'see you there' at least then you'll both be bound by rules of behaviour (which would've a considerable improvement on what you have now, and would give you some semblance of structure).

(cripes get me, a steppie on LP taking the LPs side lol)

And document everything, we had an A5 desk diary, so limited space for notes and we printed off texts and emails and stuck them in. The ex was shocked when we presented the way she had messed DH around in court (both sides self-represented, it didn't cost her a penny).

Stay strong love, you and the boys will reap the rewards soon enough xxx

IAmBooyhoo · 17/05/2012 10:06

"(cripes get me, a steppie on LP taking the LPs side lol)"

and i really appreciate it! Grin

i will get thinking on something we could do. maybe swimming, we havent been in ages.

OP posts:
IAmBooyhoo · 17/05/2012 20:20

exp texted earlier today asking if he could have the dcs to stay over tomorrow night.

ds1 has a friend coming tomorrow for a playdate and dinner that was arranged last week so i said "yes, collect them at 7pm. boys have football at 10.30 saturday morning at X football grounds. ds2 needs football boots, make sure they are a good fit. what time will you be dropping them off on saturday?"

he didn't reply so i waited a few hours and texted "i need to know what time you will be bringing the boys back on saturday"

i am guessing he is doing his usual of not giving a time and so wont reply. the dcs are scheduled to have their regular contact with EXps mum from 12 -4 on sat. should i text him and say i expect them back at 4 or should i text saying that as he hasn't replied i am assuming he isn't going to take them after all and that they will see their nanny at 12 on saturday as usual?

i am very aware of how much of everyone's time i am taking up on this and i really appreciate the help i have been given. i just want to get my responses right so that he isn't walking over me and so i'm being fair.

OP posts:
Ninjabeck · 17/05/2012 20:58

Id text him and say since he hasnt replied that you are assuming he isnt having them, and so they will be available for nanny as usual at 12 on saturday.

Id then go out :)

But then im a bitter cow!

fuckarama · 17/05/2012 21:15

Since you have failed to respond to my texts, I am forced to assume you won't be having the boys tomorrow. Will see your mother at 12 on Sat for usual contact until 4pm.

IAmBooyhoo · 17/05/2012 21:25

thank you both. Smile

OP posts:
IAmBooyhoo · 18/05/2012 23:43
Smile

a miracle has occurred.

exp texted later last night saying simply "i will have them back for 6"

AND he arrived at 7pm on the button for them this evening. he has never been on time for them/me in all the 9 years i have known him.

fingers crossed he has got the message and will keep this up.

OP posts:
TheSkiingGardener · 19/05/2012 06:15

Excellent! Hope he has got the message.

Keep the communication just as strong though, he sounds like he'll mess you around again if he thinks he can.

fuckarama · 19/05/2012 09:02
Grin

That has made my day

IAmBooyhoo · 19/05/2012 15:07
Grin

yes i totally agree skiing. all messages will be of the same variety from now on.

dcs due back at 6 so will see if he is going to keep it up.

OP posts:
fuckarama · 19/05/2012 15:46
Grin

Fingers crossed Wink

Well done you!!

fuckarama · 19/05/2012 17:39

I am sitting here waiting til 6 and hoping for an update.

Just saying Grin

IAmBooyhoo · 19/05/2012 18:03
Grin

no sign yet. will give them til quarter past.

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