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Lone parents

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

Has anyone reduced contact?

13 replies

grounddown · 31/05/2018 21:33

Split with ex because he was EA and a shit parent. He has been having DC EOW for the last couple of years. He is a Disney dad and buys them everything they want but is very critical of them and bad mouths me to them.

Dd is at an age now where she can tell me what he's been saying and i asked her last week how her relationship with her dad was. Some of the stuff she said is hurtful, if someone said those things abut my mother i wouldnt be impressed. I invited him round to see them so I could listen to the way he speaks to them and I was concerned about a few things. I tried to speak to him about it in a calm way but he blew up completely, called me a fucking c**nt in front of them and stormed off.

He asked to see DC today but they didn't want to see him. He wasn't too impressed about that and he is supposed to be having them this weekend but I just don't think it's a good environment. I don't know what to say or what to do, I'm really lost. I've decided to say I'd rather keep them here because we have a large garden and he lives in a flat so they can't play out (they are always outside here) and see what he says but I'm expecting a huge row.

They are too little to understand that he isn't being fair, they love him and all the treats he gets them keeps them on his side. I feel like the worst mother in the world for fostering this relationship between them for all these years when he's probably been emotionally abusive to them. He was absolutely vile to me, I will never recover from the way he spoke to me and when I left him I thought it would stop but it hasn't, I can't bear the thought that he may be making them feel like that, I feel like a bomb has gone off in my brain.

Has anyone reduced contact time when they have had concerns for the DC? I don't feel like I can say that he can't have them because of what's DD has told me because he may speak to her about it and that could cause her to not tell me again. This is such a mess.

OP posts:
NorthernSpirit · 01/06/2018 08:31

Do you have a court ordered contact order? If so, you have to make the children available or you are breaching the order.

If agreed vmbetween you, and he took this to court it would be frowned upon. Judges are very pro contact.

Are you quizzing the kids about what’s been said. Are you projecting (you may need to watch it). I’m a SM and the mum bitches about me (I met her EH years after they divorced, have never met her, and am nothing but nice to the kids) but you know what? It’s only words and the kids can make up their own minds.

Are a few words really worth reducing contact for to ‘punish’ him. When actually you’ll be punishing your children.

grounddown · 01/06/2018 09:22

No court ordered contact here, that would mean he would have to actually pay for them and he's already said he can't do that, despite earning over £30k a year. All contact has been initiated by me, I drop them off, provide and wash all their clothes and pick them up.

I guess your view balances my slightly hysterical post, I wasn't fishing for information from DD, I asked her how things were with her dad and if they had had a good time last time she saw him, she said no, he asked lots of questions about you mommy and called you a name, we spoke about it and she was fine.

He always has mega treats, they will always want to go. If I ask them if they want to see their dad when it's not his weekend they say no, on his weekend they are excited to go as he takes them for food and gives them treats. I guess I'll give them the choice then and see how that pans out.

OP posts:
NorthernSpirit · 01/06/2018 09:53

Child maintenance and contact are completely separate. Kids aren’t pay per view. Do court ordered contact would not mean that he woukd have to pay. Of course he should pay.

Don’t give them the choice. It’s an adult decision (not a child’s) unless the kids are older 14+.

grounddown · 01/06/2018 10:07

I have no idea about anything court related, it's not something I've ever though necessary and I don't think EX would engage even if I did.
Before we had the DC he was a lovely person, he suddenly switched when he had them, I don't recognise his behaviour now as being from the man I met all those years ago.

Anyway, I'm still confused as to what's for the best. If I didn't drop them off I'm not sure he would come and get them. I've always thought contact was the best for the DC and ive done everything in my power to ensure they see him (paid for him to come away with us and cooked him a meal in the week so he comes after work sometimes) but now I'm no so sure. If I didn't do all the leg work he may not be bothered.

OP posts:
NorthernSpirit · 01/06/2018 10:43

You shouldn’t be running around after him.

If he wants contact he needs to make the effort. Stop pandering to him.

TopofthePops · 01/06/2018 19:22

Are a few words really worth reducing contact for to ‘punish’ him. When actually you’ll be punishing your children

Shock It's more than a few words.

I tried to speak to him about it in a calm way but he blew up completely, called me a fucking cnt in front of them and stormed off

He said that in front of his own kids to their mother. There is no^ excuse for that. OP if I were you I'd stop him seeing the kids for the time-being. If he then takes you to court, you can raise your concerns and maybe he'll sort himself out he won't though.

TopofthePops · 01/06/2018 19:29

Don’t give them the choice. It’s an adult decision (not a child’s) unless the kids are older 14+

I'm sorry but you are utterly deluded. This isn't as simple as "giving them a choice", there's obviously emotional abuse going on here... he's trying to poison his kids minds against their own mother. OP as their mother has to make the best choices for them until they decide for themselves.

All contact has been initiated by me, I drop them off, provide and wash all their clothes and pick them up

OP just stop doing everything to initiate contact. Why are you doing that? He should be initiating contact himself. And as I said earlier, if I were you I'd let him take it to court. Protect your kids Flowers.

TopofthePops · 01/06/2018 19:30

If I didn't drop them off I'm not sure he would come and get them

All the better. Seriously, since my DDs father fucked off, life is so much easier.

sue51 · 01/06/2018 20:49

He doesn't think enough of his children to contribute to their daily costs. Contact cms now, I bet he will make all the usual noises about going to court for access then disappear because he cba. Men like this seem to work from the same script.

grounddown · 01/06/2018 22:19

I do all those things because I think they should be seeing him. I have the most wonderful relationship with my DF and I want them to have that too but now realise that they won't, they do have a fantastic role model in my dad though thankfully.

I tried CMS, he didn't answer the calls and sent the letters back. He gave me so much abuse over it I didn't take it any further. I know I could.

I spoke to the DC today and asked them if they were excited to see ex tomorrow, they said yes he is buying me XYZ and we are going to macdonalds. (They rang him, he never rings them) so I've decided to allow contact this weekend as normal and then just see what happens, I will tell him i won't be dropping them off anymore as I don't see why I should and see what he does. Hopefully he will fade away without argument.
I obviously want to protect them, I just thought I was doing to right thing by facilitating contact. If I don't put the effort in he probably won't and then it will sort itself out.

OP posts:
TopofthePops · 01/06/2018 22:38

I understand. I had some similar circumstances as you...buying sweets and treats for DD every time he seen her and that was what she focused on, all excited to see what she was getting.

I was also desperate for DD to have a relationship with her Dad but he kept disappearing for long periods and then coming back and I would always let him see her again until a wise aunt of mine told me that 1 good parent was far better for kids than 1 good parent and 1 terrible parent. He disappeared about a year ago and if he comes back he's definitely not being allowed back into her life again. Good luck.

If your ex wants contact, let him sort it...Hopefully he'll disappear and you can get on with it.

Starlight2345 · 02/06/2018 10:06

ok.. You need to move forward in a few ways.

You need to take back control of your life.

Go back to the CMS . Continue your claim..He is not allowed to abuse you..report to the police if necessary.

Tell him children are available for collection from ... it doesn't have to be your house.

Seek legal advice about contact. You can stop contact if it is damaging to the child. I would seek legal advice of this is the case.

Do not allow this man to continue to abuse/you or your children

ezhec · 02/06/2018 14:21

Child maintenance and contact are separate issues. He is liable for the former regardless of the arrangement in respect of the latter. If there is no order and he is being abusive verbally in front of the children then I can understand why you would be concerned about facilitating contact. Perhaps let him apply to court for an order rather than feeling you have no choice? If he is interested in being responsible and providing stability then he shouldn’t have a problem with formalising the arrangement and will do whatever it takes to do what is in the children’s interests. He’ll also have to apply for mediation in the first instance. If that isn’t appropriate then you can go ahead with the court process.

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