I am desperate to leave my children’s father. We have been together for 6 years and I cannot bare another minute being with him. But it’s complicated, we have two small children together who both absolutely idolise him. I am terrified of how this could effect them, not to mention if he leaves, he will only provide me with £100 per week for our children (he earns around £1,000 per week) and I currently do not have a job (on UC). We do have a car, in my name, which I pay for each month but he put the deposit down so he claims ownership for it. We live in a tiny village and without a car getting anywhere is hopeless. It’s pretty much just me and the children 90% of the time, he is either working, at the gym or sitting in lay-bys smoking weed. When he does see the children he is a great dad, but he is just an awful partner.
I think the breaking point for me is that today is my 30th birthday, and I have seen him for less than an hour, he came home, put the kids to bed and left to go to the gym and smoke weed. He did give me a card from him and the children, but his mum brought them, he did get me some flowers, probably because I got so upset over the years of not really getting anything from him. He says he has gone halves with his mum to get me a new hoover but he is yet to actually give her the money. Its the same story with him every year, but this year hurt more.
I think the point I am trying to make is I am desperately unhappy with this guy, but terrified of leaving him that it will ruin my beautiful happy children and leave me not being able to feed them. I am desperate to get a job but it’s hard to find something that fits school hours and that is close by (no car and very limited bus timetable).
Any thoughts or advice would be hugely appreciated x