Hello, I am looking for some advice on what is the best to do about my daughter's step-father. My daughter's biological father abandoned her and moved to the other side of the world when she was 2 (she is 10 now). She has some vague memories of him and harbours some insecurities because he left and never came back. When she was 2, I started dating my now ex, and he took on the role of father figure to my daughter and they had a great relationship for years. However, with myself and the father figure having broken up 4 years ago, it has left us in a strange situation. He has been a saint to us over the years, a fantastic caring father, however he has taken on a new job recently and works very long hours and this is not going to change. My daughter has asked him directly for help with school things and to do things together outside of school, and she has been told no by him because he is too busy with his new job. This has become a pattern. She has become upset by this as he was always the hero she went to and he never said no to her before. She has told him how she feels when she feels let down and things have become a bit frosty between the two of them (pre-teen hormones are rife atm). When I tell my ex that she is upset he always immediately gets on the defensive and says we are ungrateful and he didn't need to take her on. after 8 years he still doesn't view her as his daughter. He has started commenting on my daughter to say she is turning into a brat and being quite negative about her now, to the point where we have fallen out seriously and in his eyes I am to blame. He has said he is ready to wash his hands of both of us, however he is known to say things like this in anger. I would just like to know if there is any point continuing down this road? My ex and I have always been respectful to one-another with regards to new relationships and neither of us moved on in the past 4 years because we are unsure where this will leave his relationship with my daughter, and I have a wonderful relationship with his daughter also (from a previous relationship before I met him). I just worry if he is taking a step back due to being busy at work and we are clashing about it, and my daughter is upset about how he has been with her, to the point she doesn't want to speak to him (but I think this stems from feelings of rejection) is there any point in trying to keep pursuing a relationship between them? My ex is stubborn to the point he won't take anything to do with my daughter until he receives an apology from her. And that is where we have left things right now.