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Parenting

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So many problems surrounding contact

8 replies

princessj29 · 22/12/2011 16:16

My daughters father and I have been separated for over 2 years and there has been nothing but problems with contact since. When we separated, our daughter was 2 years old and one (of many) reason I left him was that he didn't have any relationship with her, nor did he try and build one. Originally, she was hysterical when he would collect her and would actively slam doors in his face, hit him etc. After a year, she became resigned to having to go with him but would have restless nights and an upset tummy, be lethargic and withdrawn a couple of days before contact and moody when she returned. Now, over 2 years on and there are still so many problems with contact. Her father has no rules or boundaries, despite knowing our daughter has many with me. He has taught her to hit, punch, pinch, bite, kick, swear, spit, break things, draw on walls etc - thinks she would never dream of doing here, but she does bring back the 'I can do what I want.' Originally he let her sleep in his bed which caused her to be up 20+ times per night here. Now he has a girlfriend our daughter has her own bed, but SHE decides when she goes to bed and in the meantime sits up eating chocolate and watching grown-up television. The past four or five times she has seen him (he has contact on alternate weekends) she has watched things which have given her nightmares on several of the nights she is here, causing her to be extremely tired for school.

He also dances naked with her, and teaches her what I think are inappropriate things (he thinks they are funny) like gyrating down doorposts, spanking her own bottom, twiddling her nipples etc. He doesn't encourage her to eat any proper food, she mainly eats junk and comes back constipated or with diarroeah most times. She still doesn't like contact and has restless nights and a bad attitide a few days before, then her sleep is disturbed when she returns due to nightmares because of what he's let her watch and because he lets her get in his bed if she disturbs him too many times. Because of the late nights and poor diet, as well as him letting her pick what to wear (she came back a few days ago in a skirt with no tights and t-shirt, no vest or coat!) she is always very run down when she comes back and almost always poorly. He had her from fri-mon and she ate no proper food at all whilst she was there, she stayed up late each night and napped in the day if she decided to (she hasn't had a nap with me for two years), she went out without a coat, watched things which have given her nightmares and came back with a cold and possibly an ear infection (have got a doctors appointment in the morning.) She has been so poorly during my time with her that we haven't been able to do anything we had planned, she is going back to him tomorrow until Boxing day and already I'm dreading how she will be when she comes back as each Christmas since we separated (there have been three) she has been too poorly due to contact time with him to celebrate it with me until January!

I'm sorry this is so long, but I'm just so frustrated with the whole situation and don't know what to do. I have tried talking to him on numerous occasions but he doesn't change anything he does and after over two years things are getting worse for our daughter rather than better. Does anyone have any advice?

OP posts:
CogitoErgoSometimes · 22/12/2011 17:51

I have no idea of the legal ins and outs of this one (was the access agreed through a court or just something you decided upon between you?) but, as it all sounds so miserable verging on neglectful for such a small child, I would simply stop letting her stay overnight and say he can take her out for days from your place - returning the same day - so that it limits the damage that's obviously being done.

If he's never really cared about her and has a nice new girlfriend to keep him busy I doubt he'd be all that fussed.

Stick up for your daughter rather than trying to play fair.

Meglet · 22/12/2011 17:55

I'd stop overnight stays. It's not doing her any good at all, the man sounds like an idiot.

Not sure how you could stop contact without an almighty row, but the current situation sounds dire.

balia · 22/12/2011 18:04

Have you thought about suggesting mediation? Might be a good means of discussing some of the issues in a non-confrontational way. TBH I wouldn't have said any of the issues warranted stopping contact, but some could benefit hugely from a joint approach - more likely to be achieved in a joint way rather than threatening the relationship?

From what you've said, it sounds like she could already slam doors and hit - do you really mean he has 'taught' her or just that he lets her get away with it?

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princessj29 · 23/12/2011 14:39

The contact is agreed between us, we don't have a court order. But if I stopped or reduced contact he would take me to Court, not necessarily because of his relationship with her but because everyone would think he was a bad dad if he didn't. If I stoppred overnights, he would take me to Court and even if he just took her out for the day he would still let her behave this way, fill her with junk food, leave her with the bad attitude, possibly having had a nap and then I would have to deal with it all at bedtime as I do on the Sunday usually. We have attended mediation, he said he would 'try' and change the way he parented, whilst laughing about the issues I raised and not deeming them important...! I have offered to support him in gaining her respect (at the moment she tells him to do/buy something and he does/buys it!) and let him know my boundaries, routines etc but he ignores it all. I have told him the negative effects his time with her is having on her, again - he ignores it. Her slamming doors and hitting are things she saw him do to me, hence yes he did teach her it and now she only uses these habits against him. Sometimes these actions are spontaneous but he also purposely winds her up until she snaps and shouts/hits/bites him then he laughs at her.

I took her to the doctors this morning and she did have an ear infection and is on antibiotics. She was up all night last night being sick and having diarroeah, as well as with her ears hurting. I text him last night to tell him this (he was due to pick her up at lunch time today) and telling him he might need to re-think his plans with her because she isn't up to moving or eating, let alone going out (she'd said he was planning on taking her to visit his friend over 200 miles away) yet today when he picked her up he was taking her straight to a party and is taking her to visit the friend tomorrow! He just has no consideration for her at all.

OP posts:
boglach · 23/12/2011 14:49

I would at least stop overnight contact. this may sound harsh but this situation is actually abusive. teaching a little girl to make sexual gestures and letting her watch adult tele Sad

it is disgusting and i know because i grew up with an abusive step father. i would seek legal advice but no way would i be exsposing my dd to that

CogitoErgoSometimes · 23/12/2011 20:24

"But if I stopped or reduced contact he would take me to Court"

I think you'd have to cross that bridge if/when you came to it. Could quite easily turn out to be an empty threat. In the meantime, keep a very accurate record of everything that happens, promises broken, bad behaviour tolerated, ridiculing the mediation sessions, making the child ill etc., just in case. I'm sure a court would take a very dim view of a father willing to mistreat a child just to get back at their former partner.

mablemurple · 23/12/2011 20:45

This sounds awful, but I think his lax attitude will turn round and bite him on the bum in a few years time - it's one thing a four year old slamming doors, quite another in an older child.

Do you have a reasonable relationship with his girlfriend? Are you able to talk to her? Could you get her on your side, so to speak? It can't be much fun for her if your ex lets your dd rule the roost.

mablemurple · 23/12/2011 20:47

this sounds awful - I meant, the way your ex treats your dd, not what I went on to post!

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