Hello
My DS visits his father every other weekend (contact order in place) and i'm worried about my ex's lack of care of my DS.
My son is four. He has (over the last few months) come back from my ex wearing clothes age 2-3, shoes 2 sizes too small, dirty due to the fact his dad never bathes him, 'yellow fuzzy' teeth due to ex not supervising/enforcing teeth cleaning (son is only 4 after all so cant be trusted to do this alone!).
On a more serious note my DS has returned with a burn to his hand where he 'fell' into the open fire grate due to being left to play unsupervised in a room with an open fire which had no guard up. He has had an infection under his foreskin due to spending a week with my ex and not being bathed. He regularly returns very tired as he is allowed to go to bed at 10/11pm. He is left to play on the Wii for hours at a time and he spends the friday night (of ex's weekend) at his paternal grandparents sleeping in his old cotbed coz they haven't got round to getting him a bed yet.
While i'm sure (almost) my ex is not wilfully neglecting my DS. I think it's more a lack of parenting skill and lack of perception of danger, I need some advice as to what I should do?????????
I'm certain social services will not touch this as it it just not serious enough to concern them, but for me it's so hard to stomach. I would not allow my DS to spend time with a friend/other family member where this lack of care was given but because it is his dad am i too accept it?
Other people have told me i should accept that my ex has a different, more 'carefree' style of parenting and I just have to accept it. I have tried talking to my ex but his response is that i'm overprotective, he can dress his son how he likes, he can choose what time his son goes to bed and that I am just being picky. I can't just let it go on as I worry a bigger accident could occur and the lack of cleanliness, clothes that fit etc is just not acceptable to me.
ADVICE PLEASE!!!!
Thank you!!