Ok, so I'm only a lone parent in the sense that my DH is not the father of my DS, but this seemed the most logical place to vent.
I threw out ExP 9 years ago, because he was emotionally abusive, financially disastrous and generally unable to take responsibility for his own actions. Since then, I have met and married a wonderful man, and despite ExPs best efforts, DS refers to me and my DH (his stepdad) as his 'parents', and his dad as 'dad' privately, and by his name publicly (that has been a long and hard road).
We have always promoted DSs relationship with his father, and ExP has been everything you would expect of a Disney Dad; all flexibility is on our side, he bankrupted himself and blamed me, (even though I was the only earner in the relationship, and paid him more than he was entitled to for his part of the house), but now his life is spiralling again, and this time, DS is old enough to recognise when he his being spun a line (11), but is trying desperately to stay loyal.
My heart is breaking that after all this time, ExP won't move on from blaming me for his life, and loads it onto DS. This week, I actually gave ExP the money to visit DS, because it had been mid August since they last saw each other (equivalent to five months maintenance). But he hasn't kept a promise to Skpe DS which poor little boy attributed to it being such a long drive (exp doesn't work, so why he would be too tired at 6pm the following day to talk to the boy he claims is his reason for living?).
When is he going to grow up and move on? And is dumping on an eleven year old the only way he can stop loading on me?
Sorry for the rant, perhaps if I'd had MN earlier!