Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Lone parents

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

What next?

2 replies

ExhaustedofSurrey · 02/01/2026 23:21

It's been quite a fun packed 12 months. I finally spoke up about the emotional abuse I was experiencing at the hands of my ex husband. There was an element of physical abuse and the police arrested him for assault in Feb. Depite me having video footage of the assault, he wasn't charged as the police didn't get the paperwork in in time.

Contact with our daughter (5yo and ASD) is sporadic at best. He has had her 9 times since Feb, and even declared himself out of her life in Sept (his sister talked him round). He's blocked me for months at a time and continues to threaten me when I speak up. He hasn't paid any maintenence for her and is trying to get more out of me in the divorce, stating its for him and our daughter even though she lives with me full time.

I'm just exhausted. Nobody on his side of the family will hold him accountable. I can't see a way forward at the moment. I'm terrified I'll be in this place for years. Broken promises and picking up the pieces for my daughter. She is autistic so struggles with change so my whole life is centred around her and keeping all of this disfunction away from her. I would do anything for her, but I can feel my mental health slipping.

I just feel so low and everything just seems to be a battle (unnecessarily) all the time. I've never restricted access and I want her to have a relationship with her dad, but at the moment its taking such a toll on me.

OP posts:
wannabemum38 · 03/01/2026 00:27

I get the exhausted feeling being a single mum is exhausting but to battle an emotionally abusive husband on top is hell. Im in similar situation but have a non molestation order in place at moment which makes contact difficult and he won't do supervised contact.
Is there a way you can attend mediation to try and get a routine of contact sorted? I tried that but my husband is taking me to court instead to get contact etc

ExhaustedofSurrey · 03/01/2026 11:16

I was planning to apply to skip mediation due to the DA, but I'm starting to think having a third party involved might be the only way to get through to him.

The main issue I have is that he is so absent. I want him to have some contact (for my daughters sake), but I don't want to accidentally be the one doing all the leg work if he's not making an effort.

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page