I left my husband recently. He spent the first few months trying to convince me to change my mind. He was a doting dad, if the kids needed angering, he got it for them, wanted them all the time, despite the fact my main reason for leaving him was because he never made effort with us and never wanted to do things with us as a family. I didn't fall for it, I know him and I know his changes are only even short lived and then we go back to the same cycle.
Then suddenly, it all stopped. Contact cut back to every other weekend for 1 night, no visits in between. Couldn't afford to buy new school shoes, couldn't afford maintenance. Turns out he's reunited with his first girlfriend, which is fine except he seems to have completely regressed back into that 17 year old and has forgotten about his children.
I feel like all the effort was just for me, to convince me to stay, to show me what a great family man he is. but now I've been replaced so the kids go back to having a dad who can't be arsed to be around them.
I'm so devastated for them, they're only little so they don't really know and don't seem phased, he wasn't an active parent when we were together so being with just me is normal to them really.
I've tried to talk to him but I'm just bitter and jealous and trying to ruin his new relationship. I'm out to ruin him and stop him moving on.
I just don't understand; what is this, midlife crisis? Is this going to last? She has children and so I cannot imagine him wanting to be around someone else's children when he can't be bothered with his own.
I'm hurt, I don't care he has someone else, I ended it, I don't want him. But I want my children to have their dad, they don't deserve this. How do I protect them?
There's no point to this really, just needed to let it out. I always kept our marriage private and I've kept our separation private too. I don't want to speak to people and be accused of bad mouthing him. I guess I'm back to being a solo parent, at least I didn't fall for his tricks and go back there.