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should I stop my ex from seeing our children?

40 replies

jude3184 · 22/09/2014 18:13

Firstly I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone on MN for their amazing advice on my last thread. It was overwhelming....

Ok so ill go wayyyyyy back the the start...my ex and myself had a turbulent relationship....on and off for 7 years with breaks often lasting longer than the spells we had back together, he cheated repeatedly then turned it all around on me to make me think it was my fault. On one occasion I found out he cheated when he was on a night out and his phone rang my phone whilst I was in the bath...his phone was in his pocket and he was unaware that he had called and everything recorded on my voicemail....him with another woman, other women saying "but you've got a girlfriend"...him saying "so fucking what"....you can guess the rest.

Fast forward to one of our breaks which lasted 5 months...I was overweight, unhappy, desperate for attention I suppose after so many months being told I was a mess. I had a one night stand (not my finest hour) which resulted in me getting pregnant. I already had one daughter with the ex I was just talking about. I was scared, terrified actually but I knew with everything I had in me that I was going to make the best of it and be happy. It was when I was 6 weeks pregnant that the ex came back into the picture. He had heard that I was pregnant and caught me at a time when I was at my lowest and suggested we make another go of it. Mainly for the sake of my daughter we already had together I agreed that it would be a good idea.

I was and always have been completely honest about the situation, he decided to keep the fact that my youngest wasnt his from his family. When I had her everything was fine, He was with me when I gave birth, he came with me to register her and insisted on putting his name on her birth certifucate as her named father because thats what he considered himself to be.

We broke up for good a year later and thats when he decided to drop the bombshell that she wasnt his to his family. His dad and his sister have been fine about it and were disgusted to think that he thought it would make any difference, his mother didnt want to see her any more and since then decided not to see our other daughter either.

Now since we split up he has always had them every other weekend, he has always given me £200 a month without fail...but as they have gotten older our eldest (his biological daughter) wants to see him more. She says that once a fortnight isnt enough and I agree....this is where it gets complicated.

His girlfriend has 4 children of her own from previous relationships and so when they go to their dads it must be a complete mad house. My eldest is constantly told that work will always come first because "thats what pays the maintenance..." whenever she says she wants to see him more. I have had to deal with temper tantrums from her rebelling all because he cant pay her enough attention. The last two weeks shes been amazing.

Whenever they both come back from their dads they both tell me that they are only allowed to drink at meal times....one drink.....and that my youngest is treated considerably different to the eldest.

This weekend just gone she rang me 2 hours after id dropped them over for the weekend begging me to collect her. I text her back and asked what had happened and it was after he had heard her on the phone he went nuts on her. She had arrived and forgotten her pjs so he'd made her squeeze into her sisters (whos 6) pjs. she was humilated and started to cry. he got cross and knocked over a box of the tiny lego and made her get on her hands and knees to tidy it away all the while was there with our youngest saying "give daddy a cuddle, SHE diesnt deserve one because shes a cry baby!" He then went through her phone reading all of her messages allowed to everyone in the house at the time embarrassing her further. He told her that everytime she visited he would confiscate her phone so that she couldnt call me to tell me what was going on.

Obviously I went straight over there and collected her and she was in floods of tears, it was then that infront of her he said that he was done with her and he didnt want to see her anymore. He said that she had a disgusting attitude to which I pointed out that he did too. He said she needed smacking to sort her out....absolutely no way would I ever raise a hand to my children. He told me that he didnt need this shit when he'd been to work all week...i pointed out that i also work and have my girls 12 days out of 14 and he basically shrugged it off and told me that it was my place to sort it out and until then he wanted nothing more to do with her.

My youngest daughter that isnt biologically his stayed the weekend with him and came back on the Sunday and had had a great time. He even gave her money for her money box and he didnt even ask where his daughter was to apologize or anything. He just dropped the youngest and went on his way. It was when he had gone that my youngest told me that his girlfriend had said she could have 10 of her over there but non of our other daughter.

All my eldest wants is love and attention from her father yet he seems dead set on either upsetting her, belittling her or telling her shes pathetic and doesnt want to see her any more.

What i would like advice on is whether I should stop him seeing our other daughter too....I obviously in an ideal world would love them to see their dad as much as they would like but i dont want to make my eldest feel any worse about the situation and further her self destructive behavior by accepting that he clearly treats one better than the other. I feel that until he can be a proper father and treat them both the same and sorts his attitude out he should get fucked basically....work always comes first, he is always ringing me and asking me to have them on the weekend that he is supposed to have them....its now getting beyond a joke and I cannot let it continue. Ive spoken to his sister about this all today and she is disgusted in him....what do you all think? Should i do something?? My eldest daughter is adamant that she will not go over any more and I have to say I dont blame her.

Thanks in advance...J xxx

OP posts:
BonjourMinou · 22/09/2014 20:09

Shock NO WAY should he be seeing those children. ONE drink all day? That's abusive, surely! They must come back so dehydrated! Threatening to smack them, saying he doesn't love them... he's no father, he's a total arsewipe.

Didn't you say you'd got all this recorded on the other thread? Take this to the solicitor and see what you can do about taking his name off the birth certificate for the second one.

[Flowers] for all you're going through at the moment, you've really been through the mill. xxx

BonjourMinou · 22/09/2014 20:10

Hmm my Flowers didn't work, sorry...

jude3184 · 22/09/2014 20:45

I known it's been a mad time lately. Drinks at meal times. I think I may speak to a solicitor it's been on my mind for some time xx

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WeirdCatLady · 23/09/2014 20:58

Does your youngest know that he's not biologically her dad?

TeenTroubles · 23/09/2014 22:32

I would definitely stop him from seeing your younger daughter. Thank goodness you had that ONS and therefore you may be able protect her from his damaging behaviour. See a solicitor to find out what can be done.

wheresthelight · 23/09/2014 22:54

I wouldn't be letting him any where near either girl! what a disgusting excuse for a human being

MiscellaneousAssortment · 24/09/2014 01:16

Oh dear what a mess. I don't think I could continue sending both of them to that environment, but not sure where you'd stand legally.

It's weird he's decided to scapegoat the older one who's biologically his. And worrying that he will get the younger dd to be involved and could end up splitting the sisters relationship forever...

jude3184 · 24/09/2014 08:38

I know I just don't know what to do. She and her sister know they're half sisters and when the time comes and they ask what it means I will explain. I'd never not tell her it's not my secret to keep she had every right to know I just didn't want to sit her down at 18 or whatever age and drop the bombshell without there being some kind of lead up. He tried to insist she never found out! I couldn't lie to my children. She was always wanted and is loved so very much. They both are xx

OP posts:
jude3184 · 24/09/2014 08:39

Because he's on the birth certificate is that some kind of legal accepting that she's his on his part? I just don't get it xx

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LittleBairn · 24/09/2014 08:48

Yes I would stop both of them he sounds dreadful and emotionally anusive. I'm shocked you allowed the youngest to stay when he had been so aggressive. He sounds very immature and temperamental a dangerous combination, I'm betting all the Postive attention on the little one is fuck with the older ones mind but soon he will be bored of her too.

LittleBairn · 24/09/2014 08:50

Abusive not anusive.

FunkyBoldRibena · 24/09/2014 08:59

Yes...same. Not only is he abusive to one but it's double abuse as he is drip feeding the younger one with poison about her sister.

Jux · 24/09/2014 10:17

Divide and conquer is what he is doing. Messing up both their heads, and their relationship and the same time. Keep them both away, and ask your shit hot lawyer about getting his name off dd2's birth certificate.

Lweji · 24/09/2014 10:19

How old is your you youngest?

Lweji · 24/09/2014 10:25

As it stands, I'd just stop contact.
If he changes his mind he can go to court, but he has effectively accepted her as his daughter and he should be responsible financially for her.

jude3184 · 24/09/2014 11:27

My eldest who doesn't want to see him any more is 10 and my youngest is 6.

OP posts:
Lweji · 24/09/2014 11:40

Sorry got the two mixed up.
As she is 10, she is beginning to be able to have her own mind and I'd basically support her in not wanting to go.

jude3184 · 24/09/2014 11:51

I have told her that I am happy for her not to go. Her being happy means more to me than forcing her to go somewhere she doesn't want to go. I'm also concerned about how I go about not sending my other daughter because she's fine with going. It's like he has a favourite and that's the youngest so to a child as long and she's getting good attention she's gonna wanna continue going. She knows what he's like to her sister but at the same time must be thinking 'he's not mean to me, I'm in his good books'...he's always praising her telling her 'not to turn out like her sister' which is fucking outrageous! She is the most sensitive, attentive and wonderful 10 year old in the world. Recently I had a break up and she went to the shop after emptying her money box and bought me a box of maltesers to 'cheer me up'...her words. I could have cried. She's so thoughtful. She just wants to be loved by her dad and he treats her appallingly x

OP posts:
jude3184 · 24/09/2014 12:02

Also I should point out that I knew when I collected her the other night that he would kick off and be vile so I set my phone to record the entire meeting. It's all there in black and white, him sayin he was done with her and didn't wanna see her anymore' infront of her. My poor baby! No wonder she's been kicking up lately and being difficult. How else doea a 10 year old girl process all these emotions? X

OP posts:
Lweji · 24/09/2014 12:08

It is a more difficult call regarding the youngest.
You could insist on supervised contact, if you are worried about his behaviour towards his children. In particular regarding the water.

jude3184 · 24/09/2014 12:25

It's difficult because the youngest isn't even his biologically yet he treats her so much better than his own flesh and blood x

OP posts:
enriquetheringbearinglizard · 24/09/2014 13:02

Hi Jude, how are you doing? Did the new sofa arrive ok?

Lots going on with this one Sad
I agree that the F's house must be chaotic. Are all six children there at the same time and do you know F's partner? what's she like in all of this?

I'd make a list of your priorities. If it were my list number one would be my own relationship with both DDs at this unsettled time for your household (having split with the vimto man) and so I'd tell ex that the girls won't be coming for a couple of weeks. Hopefully after the fall out he'll take that as for the best.

Second you need to speak to him and get things sorted out.
Say your piece to his face that you're not keen to stop contact between him and either of the girls, but that it's dependent upon them both being treated fairly, pleasantly and equally. Give him a chance to apologize and talk things out and make changes.

^ I'm an optimist aren't I Grin

Seriously, a bit of distance and regrouping with the girls for you, a chance for him to think on and calm down (or not, depending) and then decide what to do.
I'd be absolutely fuming if I were you and rightly so, but I wouldn't try and sort it all right now on top of what you've already dealt with, I'd just keep the girls close and not let them go to the ex this weekend.

Lweji · 24/09/2014 13:27

It's difficult because the youngest isn't even his biologically yet he treats her so much better than his own flesh and blood x

She is the youngest, and possibly the most compliant. It's not rare that the eldest children start having problems with the abusive parent.

jude3184 · 24/09/2014 13:56

Yes!! My new sofa arrived and it's is absolutely amazing....and flipping huge!! Me and my girls cuddle up on it and there's still enough room for one man and his dog (or not as my previous thread pointed out) Wink I was thinking maybe I would go to a solicitor and speak to them and use the first hour free to find out where I stand. I just cannot sit back and let him treat them so differently. Part of me wants to stop the youngest going too and wen he kicks up I'll say 'take me to court she isn't yours' but then the only person I'm going to be hurting is my youngest and I don't want that either. I just know that this cannot go on. I just want to know where I stand if I turn round and say our eldest won't be coming again. (Even after the dust has settled). The worst thing is he won't speak to her until she apologises for getting upset! Disgusting! I said to him that parents don't act this way! She shouldn't be mAde feel she has to apologise for anything. She's the child in this horrible situation, he should be the grown up that comes to her and apologises for all of the horrible things he's said to her lately.

OP posts:
Jux · 24/09/2014 15:03

Yes, get to a solicitor and start the process of getting his name off the birth certificate.

The trouble is that he is already hurting the younger, but it doesn't show in the same way as it does with her sister. He is damaging her by showing her what will happen if she doesn't 'behave'. This is hugely damaging; forced compliance by psychological means. Please stop the contact for both. Don't give them a choice, don's ask them, don't do both or neither on them, as your older girl will almost certainly agree to see him because she knows the younger wants to.

Tell him that after his appalling behaviour the girls need a break from seeing him, while options are explored. You don't have to tell him anything yet as they've just had contact, so you've got a week to check with a solicitor before you decide.

If contact must happen, better supervised than not.

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