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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

I’m not sure it’s worth it being without my daughter

81 replies

Proseccodreams · 22/05/2021 21:52

I left my emotionally abusive husband 4 weeks ago but now being without my daughter 7 days a week is just so hard I’m not sure it’s worth it. It’s not how it was meant to be, as a mother I should be with my daughter. And now he wants to share custody having never been involved before and it is just a nightmare being without her for 2 days at a time I just feel so distraught

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Proseccodreams · 26/05/2021 22:30

I am positive to her, I say you’ll have fun with daddy, daddy can’t wait to see you, you’ll be ok etc I really sell it. But what am I supposed to do when she pleads to stay with me. He was hardly there for her until we split up so he just doesn’t have the same comfort factor as I do and that’s not my fault. What kind of mum would I be if I ignored her upset

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KatySun · 27/05/2021 05:47

I think this is a really difficult one, to be honest, because you want your DD to have a relationship with her father and spend time with him, but in a way which is positive and does not leave her distressed. However, your own experience of her father is a relationship which left you distressed to the point you left and that is still very raw. So you need to separate those two things out in your mind.

There is a lot of discussion on this board about what courts would do, but the fact is you do not know what a court would do until you are there, and the child’s wishes should be taken into account as well as any impact on the child. There are lots of steps along the way to court to try to reach agreement about what the child’s best interests are. It is best that you can both work to reach a plan which your DD is happy with. That may take time. It might be easier to look at mediation as a process to try and reach agreement rather than you will sort the issues in an hour. Make sure you have good real life support in this process.

If I were you, I would be going into mediation saying DD cannot manage the contact plan, because it is too different to what she has been used to, and seeking to review it in a manner which meets her needs. Yes, a child needs a relationship with both parents and you are not saying anything against that, but what you ideally want is to be able to work with her father to ensure that time with both parents works for DD and you can both take steps to help her build her relationship with her father. That will be better in the long term for her. Yes it grates and is stressful if there has been emotional abuse and he has been an absent parent, but you need to separate out his relationship and hers with him.

The fact that she has grown up with don’t upset daddy might mean that she does not feel relaxed and comfortable when she is there, so the question is what to do to help her feel more comfortable.

Personally I would take ‘what a court would do’ out of the picture because you are not in a court. You are or will be in a mediated setting trying to reach agreement about what will work for your DD. Good luck Flowers

KatySun · 27/05/2021 05:49

*separate out his relationship with you and hers with him

Misty9 · 27/05/2021 06:38

I do 50 50 with exh and we've had different patterns in the two years since the split, starting with 5 2 2 I think (mon/Tues with one parent, weds/Thurs with the other, and eow with each) but now we do week on week off. This change was at my then 5yo dds request as she wanted more time at each home.

Yes it's hard, yes I miss them. But their dad has as much right to time with them as me. I've been berated by other mothers and told that they couldn't cope with being apart from their kids for that long - it's not my choice, it's what is best for the kids in a crappy situation. I'm lucky that exh and I are very amicable and didn't need court or mediation. Dc have stuff at both houses and we just move the current favourite toys between, but that's our job.

I recommend the picture book, mum and dad glue. My two found it really helpful when we split. They were 5 and 7 at the time. It's hard, actually it really really shit. But it does get easier. For everyone Flowers

Proseccodreams · 27/05/2021 21:50

Thank you @KatySun wise words and I take your point. It’s just so hard! We had a very unsuccessful mediation today where he wouldn’t budge one millimetre, so disappointing and infuriating!
I will try seriously think if I’m letting my personal feelings in the way

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Proseccodreams · 27/05/2021 21:51

Thank you @Misty9 I will have a look for that book x

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