Just wondering how people manage school drop offs and pick up with the other parent?
I've had a long hard battle with my ex over contact time, he cannot have the children much because of work (I also work full time): everything is always set up to suit him and his new life and the kids have to fit in around that. 2 years of promising to have an overnight in the week it's finally happening. The reason it's taken so long is because he wanted to drop the kids home at 6am and I said no, he needs to drop them at breakfast club and pay for it like I do everyday!
Because of the extra overnight it takes him to the next bracket in terms of maintenance payments, I agreed to the reduction months ago but various excuses followed how he can't afford it (he can afford it, he just can't budget/prioritise). I finally relented and agreed to less than the suggested monthly amount.
However he wants me to collect them from school on his day and wait for him to finish work to collect them. I don't do the school pick up, I use a mix of family/friends and afterschool club. The night he chose happens to be afterschool club.
When he has them who should collect from school/organise/pay for the childcare that evening and the following morning? He's adamant I have to as I get maintenance but he's lowered that in order to have them so surly he should have to pay the bill?
He has them Saturday-Sunday every other weekend and now potentially 1 night in the week. I don't want to have to rush back from work like I do every day to pick them up.. he doesn't have them often and I'd like the make the most of the time he does as it's exhausting having a 4&5yr old alone!
Half of me wants to suck it up and just make it happen, the other half of me thinks he's absolved form all the tough parts of parenting so why should I do so much to facilitate him seeing them.
What's the norm? What do others do?