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Relationships

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

Between a rock and a hard place

16 replies

Cezbee87 · 03/11/2019 13:31

I will try and make this as brief as possible, otherwise I could go on forever! Me and my now ex had a fiery relationship to say the least, never any physical abuse but since ending it, all my friends, HV and counsellor have expressed their opinions in saying he was manipulating and controlling me, I'm still trying to work through all that. We broke up when I was 5m pregnant, becuase the arguments became too toxic and I was turning into a nasty person and I started hating myself, I was incredibly mean to him on several occasions and I'm still beating myself up for my behaviour. He apparently had no choice but to move up north, with a woman he'd never met (only spoke to each other via Facebook) and she had a small child and let him move into her house. He went to 'sort himself out' and get some money behind him for when baby arrived. For the whole 3 months he was up there, he didn't work and came back wanting to get back together. We tried again, and by the time baby arrived and was 7 weeks old, it got to the point where I told him I want to get married one day, but I never wanted to marry him. We weren't even arguing but the thought of being with him for the rest of my life, with his empty promises and lack of effort suffocated me. He moved out shortly after, now we are in a vicious dispute about our son, I'm in conversation with a mediator. I don't believe, right now my ex is competent, or confident enough to have the baby alone over night. He's 14 weeks. My ex makes the stupidest mistakes with the baby and it floods me with dread and doubt. The current situation is that my ex will come stay at my mums house (currently living at my mums) every other Friday to see the little one, but we can't be in the same room as one another, it gets nasty quickly and I blow up when he makes these stupid mistakes (I had to ask him to leave on Friday night) such as having a fag, putting the dummy in his mouth then giving it to the baby.... Putting sterilised teets on the dirty kitchen work surface, leaving the baby to cry in hunger becuase 'no one told him when the baby was hungry'. He's never bought anything for the baby, ever. I've provided for my boy from day one of being pregnant, cot, clothes, milk, nappies, absolutely everything, he never helped with night feeds etc, you get the picture. My ex has decided to move even further away now and doesn't drive, so again I have to accommodate him and take the baby over to see him for the day sometimes. He went a whole week without asking how his son was and his excuse was 'I've been so busy with work, I'm exhausted' and then started shouting at me saying 'why are you always like this? There's always something with you, you infuriate me'. He's always late paying maintenance and has threatened me with court a few times. He's currently living in a block with 30 other rooms and thinks it's not a problem for a 14 week old to stay with him and go on public transport for potentially 4 hours one way. I feel so stuck, I have my doubs about the baby staying over (this would be at exs mums house, no way is he staying where my ex is currently living) becuase I have doubts about my exs ability to look after the baby but part of me feels unreasonable becuase he has to learn and he deserves a relationship with his son. He cant stay at my mums anymore becuase it's just not working, and hopefully I will have my own place in a few weeks, and I don't want my ex there either. Becuase I ended the relationship I get blamed for everything constantly and made to feel guilty about what happened. He's done nothing wrong in his eyes and I'm the one with the problems and issues and I'm making this whole thing bigger than it is. Everyone around me that knows him or has met him in the past is telling me to not let the baby stay with him, but they don't have children and have never been in this situation, so I come to the Internet for advice. I'm working on my toxic traits, seeing a counsellor to work through it all, I'm doing what I can but my ex has just not taken any responsibility for his behaviour in the relationship at all, and I'm fed up with being blamed for it all and I'm just fed up with this whole situation, I really don't see an end to it and it's always going to feel like this x

OP posts:
MMadness · 03/11/2019 13:50

Fight as hard as you can. Doubtful at this age he would even get overnights anyway. It sucks but you're not doing the wrong thing.

Opaljewel · 03/11/2019 13:52

Can you use a contact centre with he can be supervised? This cam be arranged through a mediator. That way your home is your sanctuary and you know he is supervised.

Opaljewel · 03/11/2019 13:53

I also agree with the above poster, I don't think you are wrong at all to stop him staying over. That's why I suggested contact centre then you don't have to deal with him either x

JK1773 · 03/11/2019 14:04

OP I’m guessing he’s a first time parent too. I disagree with the contact centre suggestion. Most of them aren’t even open longer than a couple of hours per fortnight. Your DC needs to know their father. He needs to see him often and you’re going to have to give a little trust that he will learn as he goes along (as you probably are). Could he stay with his DM with baby? Do you trust her? Maybe that could be the arrangement for now until he grows up a bit, she could keep an eye on things for now? It would give you a break too. Just because 2 adult parents don’t get on doesn’t mean you can’t both be great parents. It’s very early days, you’ve a lifetime of this to come. Try to find an arrangement now that you can both live with long term. Your little one can only benefit from that.
If he starts being flaky and unreliable then reassess. I think him coming to your mums actually must have been quite intimidating and he’s demonstrated some commitment there.

Cezbee87 · 03/11/2019 14:26

Thank you all for your comments, I've said all along he needs to see him as much as possible, but with him living an hour away and not driving I don't see why its up to me all the time to take little one to him. I do trust my exs mum, but we've had the conversation and she's already said she can't guarantee she will be around which is fair, I can't ask her to be. Ex won't take anything less than an overnight stay which is why it's becoming harder.

@jk1773 yes first time parents, of course, my feelings towards the ex should not interfere or impact on their relationship but the thought of him being an hour away and I can't get there quick if anything were to happen makes me anxious, and the fact my ex doesn't drive and the house is in the absolute middle of no where. X

OP posts:
Winterdaysarehere · 03/11/2019 14:31

Why does the dc need to know a df who obviously hasn't even picked up a baby book?
Bet he knows how to handle a mobile phone..
Stop travelling. He can stay at an air B&B and take the baby out for an hour or 2.
Is he paying Cms? On bc?

Cezbee87 · 03/11/2019 14:41

We haven't gone through CSA we've agreed a weekly amount but he's always been a day or two late paying it and he hasn't bothered this week, I assume it's becuase of what happened Friday night when I asked him to leave my mums becuase it got very heated. Sorry, I'm new to all this, what's bc? And you're right, he needs to make more of an effort to come see his son even though he's told me time and time again I should be thankful he's making an effort to be in his life, not many dads are like that...

OP posts:
WhoKnewBeefStew · 03/11/2019 14:46

Don't talk to him unless it's directly related to your son and via email. Block all other ways of contact. Stop accommodating him.

Go via cms to get your child maintenance

Tell him that he can't see his son unless he goes via the courts and a judge decides, I'd then (if he even bothers), insist on a contact centre. It's highly unlikely he'll get overnights etc.

FlirtyDancing · 03/11/2019 14:57

It's not your job to do his legwork OP, if he wants to see DS, and especially as it's him who will have moved further away, he needs to be sorting transport and somewhere safe to spend time with his child. But it should still be a no to overnights, baby is too young at 14 weeks and your concerns about his care are valid.

If you just stopped doing everything you currently do to facilitate him seeing DS what do you think would happen? If you said 'this is what's on offer with regard to contact, if you're not happy you'll need to make an application for the court to sort it out', would he actually be bothered to do (and pay for) it do you think?

Cezbee87 · 03/11/2019 15:02

Well he's been threatening me with court for a while now, and keeps telling I will get laughed out of the room and I will be bitterly disappointed with the outcome, I think he'd go as far as applying but not sure where he'd get the money to fund it. Pretty terrified it could actually get to that point and stupidly keep ovethinking awful scenarios where the court deem him to be the better care giver and my boy gets taken away, I know that won't happen but my mind can't help but go to those thoughts and its scary, stressful and I never thought or wanted to be here

OP posts:
Cezbee87 · 03/11/2019 15:03

Just to add, becuase I had to ask him to leave on Friday I've now put to the table that I will take little one to his mother's 1 day over the weekend for the whole day and collect him early evening so he comes home with me, but he's still not happy with that

OP posts:
Opaljewel · 03/11/2019 15:31

He will never be happy with what you're doing op. That's why I suggested a mediator and contact centre. You're trying to do right by him but he isn't doing that for you. So stop and let some others deal with that side. As long as you keep pandering to him then he will keep pushing to see how far you can get and what he can get away with. I recommend csa as well so you don't have to chase him. It's just another form of control, he is punishing you for that last fall out and by extension your child.

Everydaylife · 03/11/2019 15:36

Let him take you to court then.

Your baby is too young for overnights and you are not obliged to take the baby to him. He obviously has not got a clue and I wouldn’t trust him either.

Cezbee87 · 03/11/2019 15:39

Thank you all, I really appreciate you taking the time to reply to me. Its helped a lot xx

OP posts:
nomoreclue · 03/11/2019 15:48

It’s not your job to be his taxi service. He moved away. You didn’t. It’s down to him to sort out transport. The courts will see it that way too. Stop facilitating him. You aren’t a social worker. If he wants access he needs to work out a reasonable plan that doesn’t involve ridiculous expectations.

FlirtyDancing · 03/11/2019 18:12

OP give Rights of Women a call, they offer free legal advice and should be able to talk you through likely outcomes if he took you to court. You will feel more able to stand up to him if you know the facts and they may even be able to help with things you can do now to help back up your case if it does go that far. He's trying to scare you into submission with the stuff about taking the kids, find out the facts for yourself so you don't have to be afraid of him Flowers
rightsofwomen.org.uk/

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