Court Order worthless

[NotaDisneyMum]

DP has already been asked by his ex to vary (significantly) the contact arrangements in place for the summer holidays this year. Her proposal reduces length of the blocks of time DSS spends with us, but doesn't reduce the overall number of days iyswim.

If DP refuses, then we know that DSS will spend days at a time in the sole care of his grandmother, for whom he is being given increasing caring responsibilities when he is with her.

It seems like the court order is worthless after all

being a single, working mother with a sick parent isn't 'karma' ffs. Your bitterness and anger are...outstanding. That you are happy someone's life is difficult and that the might be struggling emotionally, practically, financially says far, far more about you than it ever could about her.

NADM of course I haven't implied that you shouldn't have posted here- I haven't appointed myself the gatekeeper of this board! I simply disagree with you- that's allowed isn't it?

You're normally reasonable....and I honestly believe that at the moment both you and your DP as well as the ex are 'in a corner' , so to speak. The ex because she goes to great lengths to avoid giving dad more time, and you and your dp because you're sick of her calling the shots, so neither of you want to back down.
Sometimes when things reach a stalemate like this, (to the potential detriment of the children), you might consider helping each other out of your corners? ( I use the term 'helping metaphorically because that help will ultimately be for the children). When you both feel that you've been heard, you might unstick yourselves from that inflexibility and bad feeling.

mumandboys What should i consider her to be then? An innocent victim of circumstance who has no other options but to make the best of what life has thrown at her?

She could have a co-parenting arrangement with DP that accommodates her shift pattern and gives the DCs a meaningful home with both parents, her mum could spend her nights in her own adapted home rather than relying on the DCs to help her in theirs, and the money provided to support her mums disability could have continued to cover the cost of weekly shopping trips and home help rather than towards the higher fuel and utility bills in the DCs home.

She has chosen the situation she is currently in, despite plenty of other options, and she is now making further demands of my family to allow her to maintain it. I've had enough. Enough of my DD coming second, enough of my free time being taken up supporting DP while he struggles to cope with DSS behaviour, and enough of being considered a threat to the DSC.

Its up to DP what he choses to do about this - and we are strong enough to disagree without it destroying us. I am continuing to make suggestions to him that I think would help reduce conflict between him and his ex - as outlined in my other recent thread about CSA arrears - but on the issue of changes to the CO contact, I'm now clear on where my own boundaries are.

NAdm, just like to give you a vote of confidence. It's true you do make a lot of sense, have seen some of your positive comments to various threads.
It's a shame when you need support that some exw on this forum feel the need to put the boot in, all for sake of the kiddies of course, never their own bitterness...
I'm a sm and my ds has a sm, lucky for him we talk and he appreciates it no end.
My dsc also wish their mum were as civil to dh and me as they see me act with my ex and his dp. Thank God for small mercies, xx

"Some ex wives on this forum stick the boot in"

I take it you're referring to me, simply because I haven't sung in agreement with an op. I'm not an ex wife, so you know nothing about me and for the record, I haven't 'stuck the boot' into NADM, I've disagreed with her- and politely as well.

It's pretty ridiculous to call this a forum if your membership or acceptance is based only whether or not you are in total agreement with each other.

I don't think you've been sticking the boot in - although the comment about already knowing the answer to my OP was a bit odd

I'm just a bit overwhelmed at the moment - CSA arrears, DSD bursary application, DSS anxiety, and for DSC mum to suddenly spring this on us when previously, she has insisted on delaying the agreement until the last possible moment (the CO says 28 days in advance).
As I've said - it's not my decision; DP will be speaking to his mum this weekend and take it from there.

NADM- when I said you know the answer already, I meant that in a way that should inspire you to realise that you guys hold more cards than you realise. If you don't want to change the arrangements - you don't have to, because you have the comfort of the order there. You feel unnerved by the request to change things but if you really think about it, nothing needs to change if you and DP don't want it to.

I guess what I was trying to express in my posts was that I have learned from bitter experience that being stuck on a principle or making decisions based on being in a 'corner' so to speak, made my life so much harder and chewed me up inside. It was quite liberating to try a different tack. I tried to stop seeing it as 'backing down' or 'being controlled' and more about bringing peace to my life.

It is hard, as someone caring for others, to accept outside intervention. From the perspective of a Carer, that's my opinion.

After 15 years of Caring, I am finally having to accept outside help. It is a bloody horrible thing to have to do, admit you can't cope with your current situation without the help of strangers. And I've only got to that point because my family has hit crisis point with my toddler being dxd with SN's and medical needs as well as myself and two of my three older DC.

Maybe your DSC's mother hasn't hit that rock bottom place yet? Maybe her asking you to vary the court order IS her having hit tock bottom. If you think about it, (I know your back story), this woman would seemingly blend her own eyeballs before asking your DP for help. Yet here she is, admitting (albeit through actions, not the words she is saying) that she CAN'T cope without his help...

I know it will be exceedingly difficult to be magnanimous towards your DSC's mother, given the prior history, but I see this as her roundabout admission that she DOES need your DP's help.

Ultimately, your DP holds all the cards. He has the choice whether to stick to the court order currently in place, or to go with her demand / request (depending on your POV). Ultimately he needs to decide whether the effects on his DS are worth adhering to the court order.

Facts are : Your DP's Ex has to work to keep a home over their heads. She works FT.

She has an elderly mother requiring care.

Summer Holiday care is very expensive, and may be outside her budget.

Lots of people care for their younger siblings while their parents are at work, and elderly relatives, without outside 'help' - which the Grandmother, btw, is quite within her rights to refuse herself, and may have done so, expecting her DD to care for her rather than strangers.

Therefore, your DP's Ex has arranged a combination of care of your DSS by his older sister and GM, to enable her to work.

Your DP 'is happy to arrange his work around increased contact with his DC's'.

So. These are the facts.

Could you maybe try to see this as her actions ASKING your DP for help, as deep down she knows the situation is not the right environment for your DSS, and she thinks he would be better with his dad than his GM. Just because she won't say that out loud, doesn't mean that that isn't what is happening!

What couthy said, with bells on

couthy I do appreciate your POV - it really does help!

To be fair, DSC mum only works PT hours, although when you factor in the fact that she relies on her mum while she's sleeping after her shifts as well as while she is working, the level of 'care' required is probably more than a conventional f/t job!

I do understand what you say about how hard it is to ask/accept help - I suppose my frustration stems from the fact that the caring responsibility is only there because her mum spends significant periods of time in the DSC home 'looking after them' rather than in her own home where she is independent.

There are so many things that could be done to make life easier - adaptions in the DSC home that match the ones their grandma has in her own home - but DSD has said that her Mum refuses even when grandma suggests them.. Simple things, like DSC mum allowing their grandma to sleep in her bed, rather than requiring DSD to give up her own room, would make such a difference to the DSC; as it is, their life is disrupted significantly and they are expected to consider it to be for their benefit.

I do consider that DSC mum has been downright manipulative by telling DSD that she isn't ever allowed to see her Dad when grandma is looking after them because she is needed to 'help' grandma - but then another time she was refused permission to see her Dad because her mum needed help putting the grocery delivery away, so its difficult to know what's an excuse and what isn't anymore.

But you're right - if she is asking DP to deviate from the court order then it is possibly an indication that she is putting DSS first. I'm a cynic though - when she last asked for any flexibility it was because she was going on a girlie weekend and wanted to be able to leave the DCs at their grandmas house without DP collecting them

Even if she is putting your DSS first unintentionally, as long as that is the end result, surely that is what matters?

I can see how hard it is for you, she isn't the, erm, ideal RP for your DSC, but on this occasion, if the end result is your DSS getting to be a child rather than a Carer, AND getting to spend time with his dad, maybe that needs 'overlooking', for your DSS's sake?

(And shifts are a bastard, especially changeable shifts, as they really mess with your body clock. It's been proven that workers with changeable shifts have a lower life expectancy, and are more susceptible to frequent illnesses.)