I am currently mid divorce, stbxh and I have two children, ds and dd, who are 6 next week and 3 respectively.
Ds and dd get picked up from school/preschool on a Wednesday by their dad and taken to his flat. They stay overnight and get dropped off at 7am. They get picked up at 10am every other Saturday and come back 6pm Sunday.
For the last two months, Ds has been showing signs of anxiety on the day before going to his dads. He will be very clingy to me, doesn't sleep well, reduces appetite and very tearful. On the morning of the day he gets collected he will try everything in order to avoid school, says he feels poorly, hides his shoes etc.
Stbxh says that ds doesn't show any signs of distress on pick up and is happy when with him.
This morning ds teacher approached me before school and told me she was very concerned, that ds was very distressed during school, asking her to call me so I can pick him up 'before daddy does'.
I've obviously asked him why he's so upset and all he can tell me is that he misses me. I have reassured him that I am on the end of the phone and that he will always see me the next day but his behaviour is getting more concerning.
I know he needs contact with his father, I actively encourage it and go out of my way to maintain it but I am getting to the stage where I think I am forcing him to go to his own detriment.
Advice please, has anyone been through this? How did you manage it?