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Contact With Ex During

62 replies

TennyJenny · 07/07/2018 14:06

Hi,

My ex has our child every other weekend and going forward will start to have him longer periods of time over school holidays (up to 7 nights)

I'm concerned about the communication on his part because when he takes him for his weekends Fri-Sun every second week he does not contact me at all to let me know how he is doing in that time despite me messaging to see if everything is okay (just ignores it)

He's suggested that when he has him for a week he'll encourage child to keep in contact with me but that he himself won't be in contact with me unless there's an emergency (essentially assume everything is okay unless told otherwise type thing) Is this reasonable or unreasonable? He's saying 1 phone call from child for every 3 days he's away (so 2 over a week) and if and when child requests he'll facilitate that.

But I just feel like he should be keeping in contact with me more directly while he's in his care. Am I within my rights to demand more contact from him (ex) if he has our child for extended time?

Child is 7.

TIA for any replies

OP posts:
MyOtherProfile · 22/07/2018 07:58

Here's the link to the yellow leaflets 8bfo I mentioned. It's from the NHS who are very concerned about the amount of sugar children are eating.

www.nhs.uk/change4life

SlightlyMisplacedSingleDad · 22/07/2018 09:42

Okay, I'll call it. What you are doing is swiftly moving towards abuse.

When you undermine the child's relationship with the other parent in the way that you are doing, it is called parental alienation. It is a serious issue, and it is a form of child abuse.

When you refuse to allow your child any autonomy or independence, you are putting your own needs above theirs. When you lean on your child to provide you with emotional support, and to be "everything" to you, you are expecting them to step into a role that no child should have to fill (or is equipped to fill).

Your behaviour is deeply problematic. You are quite deliberately creating a conflict of loyalties within your child - he will be fully aware of the attitude that you are taking to his father (even if you think you are avoiding it), and will face emotional conflict & turmoil when he does things that he knows don't fit with your view of how the world 'should' be. That is potentially very harmful to the child, and it is your fault.

I have no doubt that you love your son very much. But, right now, you are damaging him. If he is going to grow up to be a healthy, well-balanced adult, then you MUST learn to put his needs before your own - which is the opposite of what you're doing now. I seriously think you need some counselling. And you need to do some reading on topics including parental alienation, effective co-parenting, and encouraging resilience in children. A quick Google would give you lots of useful resources to engage with.

But I suspect you won't do that. Because nothing you have said is really about the best interests of your son. I feel for your son, and I feel for your ex. Please - try to do the right thing, and listen to what people are telling you here. Otherwise, your son is going to grow up with a lifetime of emotional baggage to resolve. And, frankly, if you keep going the way you are, there is a very good chance that at some point in the future, your son will choose to live with his Dad where he is not smothered like this.

Seniorschoolmum · 22/07/2018 11:58

TennyJenny, I’m sorry I restarted this. Honestly, you need to step back a bit. My ds is everything to me and I regard his dad as a selfish incompetent idiot, but he’s still ds’s Dad.
I only insist on knowing which town so I can call and check ok if something like a big motorway smash happens. If they’re going on holiday I used to check there was no pool because ds couldn’t swim, and I knew it wouldn’t have occurred to ex.
But what he eats? Where he sleeps? You just have to let them get on with it. Your ex loves your ds no matter how your relationship ended, or he wouldn’t want to see him.
You need to relax more and take some time for you. Enjoy your child free days, don’t spend them worrying. Next time ds is away, book yourself a spa day or go shopping. Maybe find a counsellor. You have a lot of years of shared parenting to go and you’re going to make yourself ill. Flowers

Cleaningthefours · 22/07/2018 12:04

OP sounds worse and more unbelievable with every post.

DancingDot · 22/07/2018 14:00

Excellent post from SlightlyMisplaced Please read it and then read it again.

YOU ARE HURTING YOUR CHILD.

TennyJenny · 22/07/2018 16:24

I thought it would be a legal requirement that he would have to keep me updated on where abouts in the country child is staying?

Surely if it went to court he would have to let me know where child is staying in his care?

OP posts:
LunaMay · 22/07/2018 17:02

There is a difference to you knowing where he'll be and you permitting him to be somewhere though.

Longer trips away i can understand wanting to know where they're headed but do you mean where he is staying as in address/room etc??

NorthernSpirit · 22/07/2018 17:26

Excellent unbiased views (as always) from @SlighlyMisplacedSingleDad which you should take note of.

I have 2 DSC. The mother tried to control and dictate contact. If their dad (not ‘her’ kids) didn’t abide by her ‘rules’ contact would be withheld (my OH had a court ordered contact order).

She was taken to court for breaching and examples of the mothers control was shared with the court. Her parental alienation was also raised. The judge gave her a stern talking to and was very clear that dad should be allowed to parent as he sees fit, she does not get to control or dictate. If she repeated the behaviour the judge told her that the children would be removed from her and they would live with dad.

I can not tell you how serious your behaviour is. You do sound like you need some help to deal with your controlling behaviour (which is not reasonable or normal). You sound very low on emotional intelligence. Look at it this way, if the kids lived with dad and you saw them 2 days out of 14 - would you be happy with what you are requesting? I doubt it.

MyOtherProfile · 22/07/2018 18:47

I thought it would be a legal requirement that he would have to keep me updated on where abouts in the country child is staying?
Serious question. Do you keep his dad updated if you go somewhere else in the country with his son? If so I can kind of understand this one bit.

Doyoumind · 22/07/2018 23:11

OP you are quite wrong. There is no legal requirement and you have no rights to know where your child is when they are with your ex. If you are for real you are extremely ill informed.

mrssapphirebright · 24/07/2018 12:03

Either you are a troll or a controlling bitter ex.

i can't decide which one.

oracle2811 · 25/07/2018 20:08

OP grow up, your posts are shocking. I would be more concerned at your controlling behavour.

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