A little bit of a long one but here goes.
My ex-wife and I split around 6 years ago and in this time we have both dated other people. We would message about the children and I would have the kids every other weekend (I work shift work but not in a pattern) they lived about 15 minutes away.
I met my current partner almost 2 years ago and she met my children and they got on fine.
Now the kids continued to come over and have time with me with and without my partner and her kids. Our kids got on quite well as they're similar ages.
6/8 months ago this all went pear-shaped my children didn't want to come and see me anymore (I asked them and they couldn't tell me) and I found out my ex-w had met someone new and had moved him in. None of my business what she does.
Anyway, my partner has now moved in as her tenancy was coming up for renewal and it made sense financially.
Her children have thrived in their new schools and she has found a new job.
I continued phoning my kids and texting them but they refuse to pick up. Finally they did and sent a really upsetting message that Mum's new partner is a better father figure and they don't want anything to do with me and my partner and her kids.
I accepted this but it's hurt an awful lot. The ex-wife has moved her and the kids to over an hour away and have refused to tell me their address and what schools they're going to.
Yesterday I receive a text from the middle child asking to come over this weekend as he'd had a fight with his sibling. This has completely thrown me as haven't heard for months.
My partner and I are at a complete loss of how to move forward with this whole sorry situation.
I've always paid the correct maintenance on time and tried to be civil to ex-wife however I do accept that I should have seen them more but my job restricted that. Ex-wife wouldn't allow me to have them during the week either.
Kids are 15, 13 and 10