Okay far enough I can see that. I thought something similar at the time.
However, my thoughts on this (from my situation and perspective:
- H and I moved here as a one year only thing before we had kids. He hated it here (his hometown) and I disliked it immediately. We only stayed as we promptly had kids and the best financial desicion (sorry if that's wrong can't think how to spell it) was to stay put for a little while. We always said we'd move away, far away, as soon as possible, maybe even abroad. I have no idea what H feels of it now as he doesn't talk about it but I'm sure he's still not keen as he doesn't have many friends here if any, and all his closest friends are a minimum of 80 miles away at best.
2. He works away a lot, almost every week, and far away - we live south, he works in yorkshire (and travels about). He tries to fit this around kids, but he also never planned to stay with same company. He did originally say he was planning on getting a new job far far away, and then fitting in seeing the kids on a pro rata basis (ie whenever he could but in proportion to what he'd have had them normally. So I have no idea that he even plans to stick around here for work and he's up and down the country at the best.
3. Across the country is an exaggeration. Unlike previously mentioned people it's not Scotland to England or anything, I am probably thinking 100 miles at the most. Maybe far less. My other main issue is I think he'd kick up if it was even 20 miles - we live 2 minutes from where he lives and 5 minutes from his work currently. I think he'd protest at anything. And I'm not just saying upsticks for the sake of it, I'm saying if I find a good job, or start a relationship, and then find good schools and a great place to live. There are reasons we both hated it here, it's not nice to live here.
4. Like I said before I'd be prepared to come to arrangements for him seeing them. I don't drive, so unless I was with a partner it would be complicated for me to bring them to him say on a friday after work. But say I had a partner, or it was simple by public transport, or I learnt to drive.. I'd be happy to say sort it out so one time we took them and picked up, next time him.. or vice versa.
There are many other reasons. But I simply wanted to know what he could do, how he could stop me (eg can he stop me if its 10 miles away? 20? 50?) and can it be put entirely on me to transport them at his beck and call? And if he moved away for any of the above reasons am I free to do as I please (within reason)
I am not trying to stop my kids from seeing their dad, or to harm the relationship. I just want to be happy too and here, where we live, I am not.