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Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Is he such a 'devoted father'?

12 replies

MyGastIsFlabbered · 29/06/2017 20:12

I'll preface this by saying I'm still so angry at my exH, just the fact that he breathes annoys me, so it's hard to be objective about his parenting. But I'm sick of him claiming to be a devoted father when I feel he's nothing of the sort.

We were married 6 years, during that time he was emotionally abusive to the point where I was under the MH crisis team when I finally asked him to leave. He left for one week then announced he was moving back into HIS house because he'd been away from the boys for too long (he'd been in to put them to bed every night that week). He proposed living independently in the box room. I begged him to reconsider but he wouldn't, I even asked him to wait 24 hours so that I could speak to my HV about what impact this living arrangement would have on the boys but he refused. There was no way I could be under the same roof as him and told him if he moved back I'd take the boys and leave but he insisted. I took the boys to stay with my dad, thinking he'd leave when he realised I meant it.

Fast forward 2 years, I'm no longer living with my dad obviously but he's still living in the former marital home, a 3 bedroom property that he pays no rent or mortgage on, and sees nothing wrong with the fact that his children are living in a rented 2 bedroom flat. He sees them every other weekend Friday - Monday but I've recently said he can't have them Sunday night as he never gets DS2 to nursery on time. He sees them one day in the weekends in between.
He never phones them. When we recently moved I said he could pop in and see them one evening in the week if he wanted, he's never taken me up on it.

The CSA recommends he pays £80 per week child maintenance, it works out he pays £93 per week (£400 a month) and I'm sick of him going on about how he's paying more than the CSA recommendation, whilst conveniently ignoring the fact that I'm paying £150 a month to clear a debt he saddled me with when we split up.

He's never been to a single class assembly or school play ever yet claims he's closely involved with the school community. After we split he became an associate governor of the school; the headmaster phoned me to tell me he was suspicious of his motives but couldn't stop him applying to become one.

Sorry this has turned into an epic rant, he just makes me so bloody furious.

OP posts:
MyGastIsFlabbered · 01/07/2017 20:31

Wow, nobody at all? Was it too long or am I just an unreasonable arsehole?

OP posts:
fusspot66 · 01/07/2017 20:33

No he's not a devoted father. He's a twat.

RandomMess · 01/07/2017 20:38

Nah he's not devoted he just wants to continue to control/abuse you.

Who owns the marital home? Have you sorted out the finances yet?

MyGastIsFlabbered · 01/07/2017 20:49

Marital home is a mess, we're currently going through court proceedings to resolve it. He inherited the house but it was basically derelict, we renovated it between us; he never lived in it before we moved in together. But he co-owns it with his brother, along with the house his brother lives in.

We've had the FDR but he still won't settle, his previous offers were to 'loan' me £100,000 to buy a house but this had to be paid back as a percentage of the equity, when DS2 turned 18 or left FT education, if I moved more than 3 miles away from him, if I remarried or cohabited for longer than 3 months. Since the FDR he's offered me a tiny bit more but it's to go in trust to the boys.

I live in the SE and most properties are £300,000+. I only work part time (& only started this job 3 weeks ago) , he works full time; I'm crippled with debt but he still reckons I can get a mortgage of £132,000 so he doesn't have to give me so much.

OP posts:
RandomMess · 01/07/2017 20:58

yeah such a devoted father indeed!

I hope court sees sense and awards what you need Flowers

Gemini69 · 01/07/2017 21:02

no offence but I hope the Court screws him honey x

willescapesoon · 01/07/2017 21:17

He's a prick

thatwouldbeanecumenicalmatter · 01/07/2017 21:23

Devoted...to being an arse hole.

Hats off to you for standing up to him and getting rid, hopefully things will get better soon he falls down a sink hole Flowers

Krispiesquare · 01/07/2017 21:24

So devoted that he punishes his children to get to their mother

MyGastIsFlabbered · 01/07/2017 21:42

Thanks everyone. He still has the capacity to make me doubt myself. I accept my judgement is totally clouded when it comes to him.

Oh and because he only gets 4 weeks holiday a year he says that's the total sum of his obligations during school holidays...so it's up to me to sort out the other 9 weeks. I work too but he refuses to pay for extra childcare.

I think he justifies it all because he knows I will never do anything to the detriment of the boys and will always make sure they're ok no matter what he does.

Soon after we split he got his solicitor to send me a letter saying he had 'long term concerns over my relationship with the boys' due to my MH issues, and demanded a Child Protection report (which he never got and never followed up on)

OP posts:
MonkeyPieMama · 02/07/2017 00:51

He sounds like a prize twat, OP. My ex has refused to leave the family home too. Due to complicated circumstances I can't leave with my children and he can legally stay here for 12 months. I've survived the first 6 months, so I'm confident I'll get through this last half. It's been hell and even though the children aren't actually aware we have split (they're only young) the eldest has definitely been effected by the bad atmosphere etc that has obviously lingered these past 6 months. It's amazing what emotionally abuse twat exes are prepared to do, just to spite the mother of their children. Good luck OP, I really feel for you and hope things improve soon.

MilesHuntsWig · 02/07/2017 00:55

Poor you. He's not a devoted father he's a controlling twat.

Short but hopefully sweet and supportive to you.

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