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Parenting

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“You cant force someone to parent”

113 replies

OhMyCherriePie · 09/04/2023 21:50

Or can you? how can I force my ex to take responsibility for the children or at least make him have them overnight? Or any advice how to get over the bitterness and resentment?!

OP posts:
GrazingSheep · 09/04/2023 21:52

You can’t.

GrazingSheep · 09/04/2023 21:53

It’s just sheer bad luck for you and the children that their father is beyond useless.

Eggseggseverywhere · 09/04/2023 21:55

Would you really wish your dc were staying with a man who clearly doesn't want them?
Ime raising dc alone without any input from a twat is so much easier..

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MelchiorsMistress · 09/04/2023 21:57

It’s true, you can’t force it. If you could, would you really want your children to be cared for by someone who has to to forced to see them?

I don’t know how you can find acceptance and peace about it, but I hope you can eventually.

EliflurtleTripanInfinite · 09/04/2023 21:59

You can't, the court can't and wouldn't even try. Parents can walk away, the only consequence to the parent that does that is they have to pay more child support if they work for a wage and can't hide their income. It damages their relationship with their child too, but if they cared about that they wouldn't be behaving that way in the first place.

Singapore4 · 09/04/2023 22:00

It depends on the circumstances I think. How long ago was the split? Was they a involved and active parent before the split? This is key I think.

I struggled with EX and he refused to compromise. Long story short I got sick of it took him to court and he has never ever broken the court order. Things are not perfect but it's a big improvement.

HowcanIhelp123 · 09/04/2023 22:07

You can take him to court to make contact regular, but if he turns up and says wants zero contact thats what he will get. The courts won't force more contact on him because its what you want. They also can't force him to turn up for any contact he does ask for. As resident parent you need to make the kids available, but he doesn't have to use it. It's not in the best interests of the kids to be with someone that doesn't want them.

OhMyCherriePie · 09/04/2023 22:11

Eggseggseverywhere · 09/04/2023 21:55

Would you really wish your dc were staying with a man who clearly doesn't want them?
Ime raising dc alone without any input from a twat is so much easier..

Yes and no I don’t find it easier 😏

OP posts:
Comedycook · 09/04/2023 22:14

No you can't I'm afraid.

It's terrible really... personally I think they should be charged with neglect. If a resident parent did sweet fa for their child, then there would be consequences.

SiouxsieSiouxStiletto · 09/04/2023 22:30

Really feel for you OP. Is he paying maintenance? Can you get any help from Homestart?

TheMatriarchy · 09/04/2023 22:31

Drop them off and leave, thats basically what he has done to you.

Bemyclementine · 09/04/2023 22:35

You can't. My ex loves sending je messages berating me from stopping him being a proper parent, stopping him seeing the DC. In reality, I have NEVER saud no to him seeing them, he's chosen to go from 2 weeknights and 1 weekend day, to just 1 weekend day. Has shortened that day, no longer even feeds them dinner, and allows them to play on devices abd watch YouTube all day. No school holidays no overnights.

I'm torn, I'd like to have a bit if a break from parenting occasionally, but I know it doesn't do them any good to be there.

OhMyCherriePie · 09/04/2023 22:41

TheMatriarchy · 09/04/2023 22:31

Drop them off and leave, thats basically what he has done to you.

Ohh I like this idea! That might not be a bad idea!

OP posts:
GrazingSheep · 09/04/2023 22:41

You can’t do that.

daretodenim · 09/04/2023 22:45

Comedycook · 09/04/2023 22:14

No you can't I'm afraid.

It's terrible really... personally I think they should be charged with neglect. If a resident parent did sweet fa for their child, then there would be consequences.

Me too. Because it is neglect.

Or child abandonment, because it's that too, but don't know if it's a crime.

It's not not neglect or abandonment because you dump your kids on someone else and assume they'll do a better job.

My "D"F did this. My mother abused us. Why wasn't he responsible for our welfare?! Oh yeah, because he fucked off first.

Insane.

You can be SURE that if men were routinely left shouldering the burden of bringing up children single-handedly because the mothers fucked off, it'd be a highly prosecuted crime in no time.

OhMyCherriePie · 09/04/2023 22:56

SiouxsieSiouxStiletto · 09/04/2023 22:30

Really feel for you OP. Is he paying maintenance? Can you get any help from Homestart?

no he doesn’t pay maintenance (with cms but they don’t do anything) home start I think you need a child under 5? My youngest is 6 next month.

OP posts:
B0g · 09/04/2023 22:59

‘Would you really wish your dc were staying with a man who clearly doesn't want them?’ You replied ‘yes’ to this??

Sadly, things like this are why the male that you (general ‘you’) selected to impregnate you is one of, if not The biggest impacting choice a woman can make. Impacting every minute of your life, and the lives of the kids created.

Singapore4 · 09/04/2023 23:01

Does he pay anything at all through CMS? You need to challenge your yearly reviews if so. He should be paying a basic rate at least.

Ask for a mandatory reconsideration from CMS. After that you have to pursue it further if that fails you have 90 days to apply to take it further. I'm going through the same process it's slow in fact I thought the DWP had forgotten but they found my case and it has just been in a backlogue.

OhMyCherriePie · 09/04/2023 23:01

B0g · 09/04/2023 22:59

‘Would you really wish your dc were staying with a man who clearly doesn't want them?’ You replied ‘yes’ to this??

Sadly, things like this are why the male that you (general ‘you’) selected to impregnate you is one of, if not The biggest impacting choice a woman can make. Impacting every minute of your life, and the lives of the kids created.

I don’t want to be with my kids every single day every minute and never getting a break but the difference is I don’t get a choice! So why does it matter if he doesn’t want to?

OP posts:
OhMyCherriePie · 09/04/2023 23:02

Singapore4 · 09/04/2023 23:01

Does he pay anything at all through CMS? You need to challenge your yearly reviews if so. He should be paying a basic rate at least.

Ask for a mandatory reconsideration from CMS. After that you have to pursue it further if that fails you have 90 days to apply to take it further. I'm going through the same process it's slow in fact I thought the DWP had forgotten but they found my case and it has just been in a backlogue.

Nope he is on benefits.

OP posts:
Dancemonkee · 09/04/2023 23:06

OhMyCherriePie · 09/04/2023 22:41

Ohh I like this idea! That might not be a bad idea!

You can't do that. Make your children feel unwanted.

You're better off trying to find ways to make your own life with the children easier, on the basis he won't have them.

Somanycats · 10/04/2023 00:00

You do get a choice op. You can refuse to have anything to do with your children in exactly the same way as he has.
I don't suppose this is what you really want though.

OhMyCherriePie · 10/04/2023 00:01

Not really I suck it up even when I don’t feel like it because they are my children and I have a responsibility to them. Seems it’s only dads that having the choice applies to

OP posts:
daretodenim · 10/04/2023 06:05

I don’t want to be with my kids every single day every minute and never getting a break but the difference is I don’t get a choice! So why does it matter if he doesn’t want to?

I'm totally with you. Socially it's implicitly accepted that men have the choice of whether to parent or not. They're not social outcasts when they leave their wife/mother of their child(ren), pay no maintenance and never see their kids. It's just "one of those things". Even if they go on to have more kids! Basically it may be "frowned on", but they're definitely not harshly judged. The system of CMS effectively supports fathers in doing this too, by letting them away with hiding finances/not paying child support.

Mothers though are not given the same flexibility of choice about whether they parent. Once she's pregnant and decides to keep the baby - if she needs to make that choice - a woman becomes bound for life by society's expectations about all aspects of her life. And that's taken for granted too by everybody!

It's something our daughters need to be made aware of. You basically shouldn't have children with a man, no matter how much of a good'un he is pre-kids, without being prepared to parent alone.

I'm not saying all fathers are bad and mothers good (my mother abused me so I know that's not true!), but men can basically walk away at any point, while mothers technically could, but
it's a totally different issue for them to do that. And that's fine, but men should face the same stigma.

MaireadMcSweeney · 10/04/2023 06:35

OhMyCherriePie · 09/04/2023 23:01

I don’t want to be with my kids every single day every minute and never getting a break but the difference is I don’t get a choice! So why does it matter if he doesn’t want to?

Because if he's likely to neglect or be cruel to the children they will suffer??
do you really think this is a safe and reasonable thing to do with your kids?

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