Sorry this is a bit of a downer on a Sunday!
My brilliant boys at 16.5 and nearly 13. Their dad left 12.5 years ago, until recently I was the one who was in contact with him.
The boys don't want to speak or see their Dad. I've tried to keep contact, and facilitated the occasional meet in a coffee shop or local park.
At their ages, they've refused to do this anymore. It's been really hard. I've tried my hardest to keep the lines open, support them to speak their mind but to be respectful. As you can imagine, I've copped it all from both the boys and their Dad, being in the middle.
Recently, I've been accused of restricting his access to the boys. My mental health is low, and I'm struggling. I've made the decision to block him so that he cannot contact me. The boys are able to contact him as and when they want.
How do you manage stuff like this? I've seen a solicitor and a counsellor, they've told me I'm perfectly ok to do this. I just want to be free. We were married for such a short time (4years) but the last 18 years of my life have been so controlled by this man, I just want to be free.
If you made it to the end, thank you so much for your patience