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Step parents and maintenance

430 replies

Anon197 · 01/06/2018 15:58

Just a quick one...

My DH recently lost his job and is struggling to find work. My income is the only income (no support benefits wise).

We have two very young children together and he has a child with his ex.

They share custody and when my step child is at ours I pay for everything.

His ex has thrown a wobbler because I won’t pay a proportion of my wage to her.

What would you do?

OP posts:
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takeittakeit · 03/06/2018 10:25

How old are the children involved?

swingofthings · 03/06/2018 12:11

Of course first born children shouldn't be entitled to more than the others, this is a ridiculous concept. However, each parent should be treating all their children equally.

In this case, the two youngest children have benefited from the situation. Their mother is insuring they get the same in terms of financial support but they now also get to stay home with dad.

The youngest doesn't get any benefits from her dad, him being able to look after her during the day is no benefit since she's at school. However, she potentially might be losing something financially, that is unless her mother makes up the difference.

So indeed, no different to OP, EXCEPT, and that's the big difference, it is natural within a couple that you would support each other, and make up when one can't keep up their responsibilities. It is not natural for an ex to have to pick up the responsibility of an ex, and that's the crux of the issue here.

OP sees it that she had to work more hours, why shouldn't the mother do the same. Well, Anon, you do it because you love your husband, want to make his life better, and are pleased that your children have a better lifestyle than full-time childcare. His ex care couldn't care less about helping him and having to work harder to do so.

You are comparing yourself to her as a mother when what sets you apart is not how you behave as a mother but how you behave towards the man who can't or won't fulfill his responsibilities.

The whole thing has grown totally out of proportion. If it is to believe that indeed, he/you have almost 50% caring responsibilities (which I don't believe) and that his unemployment status is only temporary (which I'm not convinced of either), then of course she is making a big fuss over nothing, ie. £100 lost over say 3 months.

However, what might have got her to become 'abusive' is that she counts the days very differently to you, might believe that your OH lost his job through his own fault, and/or that he has no intention at all to get another job until your youngest is at school. If that is the case, and when she said something, she was told that if she's not happy, she can just have her DD with you full-time, then yes, I can see how anger would have taken over.

The only thing that can be hoped is that your OH will indeed do everything to get another FT job and that the maintenance will resume shortly, and in the meantime, the ex will manage to make up the difference so that their joint DD doesn't have to do without.

funinthesun18 · 03/06/2018 12:29

but they now also get to stay home with dad.

This isn't automatically the best thing. They may have been thriving at nursery and will have made friends etc.. Suddenly being at home every day might impact on them negatively. It's not like the dad has much money to give them a rich fulfilling life to make up for nursery either.

Sorry op that above wasn't meant to be offensive to you and wasn't a dig at your husband. I was just making a point that nursery may be the best things for them and to suddenly not go anymore might impact on them.

HeckyPeck · 03/06/2018 12:33

I don't think you're in the wrong OP.

I wouldn't pay in those circumstances either. In my case DH's ex has a similar household income and doesn't rely on the maintenance payments so the only way I would pay would be if her circumstances changed meaning she did rely on them and if I could afford it.

I hope your DH finds something soon.

BobbiBabbler · 03/06/2018 13:26

Op you can safely ignore swing. She pops up on pretty much every stepmum thread to have a pop, with barrelfulls of projection because she has a stepmum who she doesnt like or some such bollocks. You have no obligation to pay for your dsd while she's at her mother's especially when you've got near enough 50/50. Shit happens, people lose their jobs and i wouldn't be doing favours for someone who thinks it's acceptable to give you a load of verbal abuse.

greenlanes · 03/06/2018 13:31

I agree with swing's latest post. The OP on this thread has been so argumentative on any comment they dont agree with. I feel very sorry for the ex.

starsuniteonceagain · 03/06/2018 13:34

Legally the child is NOT yours op so you don't need to pay maintenance, end of.

swingofthings · 03/06/2018 14:20

Bobbi,
No I do not have a pop on every thread.
No I don't project my own experience on all of them. I have never experienced what the child in question on this thread is experiencing.
I have written at least 3 times on this thread that I didn't think OP should be paying maintenance.
Like any posters, including yourself, I am entitled to share my opinions. They don't have to agree with the OP or yours.
I'm sure OP can decide on her own accord if she wants to ignore my comments and don't need you to suggest it to her.

Chew2 · 03/06/2018 17:14

'Op you can safely ignore swing. She pops up on pretty much every stepmum thread to have a pop, with barrelfulls of projection'

Totally agree with this 👍

takeittakeit · 03/06/2018 22:36

So many people have said on this thread, the OP should not be obliged to pay and the mother is out of order for being rude.

The double standard is of course as always on this forum, when monies are involved - that the EX should stand on their on two feet and pay their own way and not rely on the EX to pay more etc. This is usually aimed at the Ex W regardless of the circumstance.

in this case it is the EXH who is expecting his EXW to pick up his slack and on here everyone thinks she should just do it - that is a double standard, when does he stop being responsible for her ExHs respnsibilities. On this thread never.

BobbiBabbler · 04/06/2018 07:00

@swingofthings

Oh ok, except im not the only one that thinks so. See above.

You've got ridiculously high expectations about what stepmums should be doing and if they don't meet them, or don't agree with you, you harangue the poster over and over again. I have seen you explain on another thread that you do this because of your own stepmum issues. Why else would i remember your name?

BobbiBabbler · 04/06/2018 07:05

@takeittakeit

Of course the ex wife is responsible for her child. As is the father, but the op's husband currently has no income despite his best efforts and the op is struggling to provide for her own children. So does this give the woman the right to abuse op? Should the stepmum just accept whatever is thrown at her?

Bananasinpyjamas11 · 04/06/2018 12:51

I agree @bobbi
The husband is actively looking for work, and apparently has the kids 50% anyway, this is a temporary situation. The Ex should get CSA or court to review it if she’s unhappy as none of us can judge really whether it’s 50/50 or not.

What is out of order is the Ex abusing the OP. And the OP being expected to pay the Ex. I don’t know how anyone could argue otherwise?!

takeittakeit · 04/06/2018 19:09

Bobbi - read the posts - I have said all along she is out of order to abuse the OP .
But should the EX subsidise the EX because when it is the other way round we know what the complaints on here are. This is a double standard.

Unfortunately OP has changed the every weekend to every other weekend when she does not have the kids, the holidays became not all the holidays - so is 50:50 really 50:50 because EOW is not 50:50!

There is some slightly selective reporting from the OP - but at no point has anyone on this thread said the OP should be abused. Can she be pissed of that her EX got himself fired- absolutely.

WOuld love an up date on this in 3 months time

BobbiBabbler · 04/06/2018 19:24

It's not clear why you think maintenance is anything to do with the op. Cos its not.

Anon197 · 04/06/2018 19:49

At no point has it changed to EOW
And if you read it, he was unfairly dismissed.

OP posts:
Mamatribe · 04/06/2018 20:44

Get legal advice on her trying to withhold contact and call her bluff but you are NOT financially responsible for her/your partners child at all. She cannot claim anything you earn.

takeittakeit · 04/06/2018 20:44

Yet you said on her child free weekends, every other week, she could do over time to pay for her useless EX.

What is a weekend and how old is this DC?

KittyVonCatsington · 04/06/2018 20:54

Yet you said on her child free weekends, every other week, she could do over time to pay for her useless EX.

I think what the OP meant, in context of what was written, is that all the ex would need to do to make up the loss of £100 is to temporarily take extra shifts every other weekend-as in, it didn’t even have to be every weekend. Not that she only has DSD every other weekend.

takeittakeit · 04/06/2018 21:14

But why should she have to make up her EX shortfall.

She will be the double standard here is she has to suck it up, yet her EX can just drop his responsibilities like a stone.

KittyVonCatsington · 04/06/2018 21:38

If you read back through the thread, this specific questions has already been discussed and responded to by the OP.

takeittakeit · 04/06/2018 22:44

Because the OP has not answered the questions

Every weekend - is that 2ONs, 1 ON, 3ONS - 104/52/156
All school holidays - Xmas 10, halfterm 15, easter 15, summer 30

So 160 / 122/ 226 - minus a few week of holiday the EX takes her on
150/112/216 according to OP.

So if the latter then no she should not be getting anything.
If the former then she should and that is not 50/50.

Devil is in the detail isn't it because if it was the 226/216 version then why wouldn't they be asking the EX for maintenance but I do not think it is.

Sorry the story has more holes than.....
Either way i do not agree with the EX being abusive to the OP

Moussemoose · 04/06/2018 22:50

This is a thread on MN that's all, there is some serious over investment and projection.

I think some posters need to take a step back and consider why they feel the need to prove these points. Something has clearly triggered a response that is disproportionate.

swingofthings · 05/06/2018 06:59

Why else would i remember your name?
Frankly no idea! Some people agree with you, some with me. That's the nature of threads.

I agree with you Moussemoose about investment and projections, all around. This is what happen when a poster drip feed and then write things that contradict previous posts, but when question on it, they avoid the question, or respond in a way that doesn't really respond to it. It does inevitably question the validity of the thread and yes, it then turns into some posters starting to make their own interpretations.

OP asked in her first post what she should do, and every single poster, including myself, wrote that she should do nothing and no pay. Yet she felt the need to go on and decimate the ex after that, and that's when it turned sour.

Tryingtobehappy2018 · 05/06/2018 14:37

I'm quite shocked by the responses on this post, And most of you seem to have your knickers in a twist.
Since where is a mention of her other 2 children? Her DH lost his job ( unfortunately that Is life, and things happen out of our control )
OP is working fulltime, plus more to care for her family of 2 adults and 2 of her own children.
Her own children are her priority.
Where's the exw compassion if he's been paying maintenance and regular contact for 8 years.
I myself am in a crap sutuation. Me and my ex split up 9 years ago and 8 years ago he quit his job to avoid paying maintenance, my kids get nothing off him and it's unfortunate he's the most lazy twat I've ever met. He still sees them 2 weekends a month and I still have to fund everything while he rakes in benefits and provides for his other 2 children with his partner.
While I've had virtually sod all for 9 years.

My partner lost his job in April and despite job searching every day and had numerous interview he still hasn't been offered a job. Don't believe me? That's fine, I know my situation no one else.
My OH hates not working, he's always paid maintenance for his daughter nearly £200 a month and only being allowed to see her 2 Saturday's a month.

And your all making out this her husband is the worst...

OP don't give her a penny. There's 5 of you to care for, don't let her bully you into giving money. Your children are your responsibility xx