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Are we helping enough with grandchild, or is his ex expecting too much?

103 replies

Disgramma · 19/09/2026 12:19

Son & GF are separated but they have a young baby 10mnth - DS pays maintenance and takes baby overnight one night every weekend - but also takes him after work 3 evenings per week and takes him home bathed and ready for bed ..he lives at home - she has her own house - he’s had to cancel taking his son 2 overnights since he’s been born due to illness - but the ex GF is majorly complaining at him / being hostile to him / demanding he take baby even if he has sickness bug .. she’s constantly on at him / phoning example she phone as and insists he take milk to hers for the baby coz she’s none left and didn’t buy it - he does because it’s his child - as a family we help we take grandchild and help him and we offer extra time if ex GF needs help .. we take him to baby class etc and my DD who also has a child and is on her own with him also helps his exGF by taking baby - we love having her an as a family we all do our bit - but it’s getting stressful now .. spoke to the exGF mom who says she’s also gets calls and text from her DD demanding she help her … I’m worried the ex GF is not coping - but we all work full time - my DS is out at 5am back at 5pm then gets his child 3 evening per week .. and one overnight at weekend …. The ex GF gets help from her relatives in addition to us - they help 1 or 2 nights per week as well …. I’m. Not sure how much more we can do to help … I feel she needs to help herself and get organised and stop relying on everyone else .. and I think my DS and our family are doing our bit …. I worry about ex GF mental health but she does get regular HV visits and has family …. Am I missing something.we xan do to help or is this just ex GF being demanding .. she does go out when we have the baby - clubs / pubs etc so it’s not like she’s stuck at home ..

OP posts:
Disgramma · 20/09/2026 19:49

Avie29 · 19/09/2026 18:50

If they were together she would not get a night off, yes he would be home 5 till bedtime but he has baby 3 evenings a week anyway, she would not be getting anywhere near the support she is getting if they were together AND she is getting full maintenance to boot, sorry but i can’t see where she could want more time away from her baby? When she only has her one full day a week as is? OP should phrase it a bit better as she is helping her son when she has the baby but otherwise i think Ex is getting a good amount of freedom and full maintenance too 🤷🏻‍♀️

He also pays for baby clothes , toys she needs , furnished the nursery / and helped the ex furnish her home .. he is happy to give her extra if he earns extra .. making it fair. And he does take her a full weekend once per month

OP posts:
saraclara · 20/09/2026 20:07

FirmSnake · 19/09/2026 18:46

So child friendly jobs are so hard to find and so poorly paid that dad's can't possibly even try looking for one....
But mum's absolutely must have a child friendly job?
Eh? Can we please not in 2026.

The mum isn't working at all, so for stability he needs to keep this job, rather than go looking for one that fits around the baby and pays poorly.

His ex clearly wants the maintenance, so I suspect she doesn't want him handing his notice in either

saraclara · 20/09/2026 20:08

Same with the sickness, if I’m unwell I still have to look after my children, there is no sick leave or annual leave from being a parent.

OP had said that he takes time off work to have the baby when his ex is ill. So it balances out surely @Jellybunny98 ?

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