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School holidays

145 replies

Crossroads18 · 24/06/2018 07:44

Hi, I'm new here and would like some advice. My stepkids don't get to stay often but the ex wife has told us she wants us to have them for a week in the summer holidays. We have a 4 year old and also a nearly one year old; my partner probably won't be able to take any time off as he only just had a week off this week whilst the four of us went away and his work are getting very incredibly busy. We obviously didn't know we were going to be having the stepkids for a week. We live a distance away. I am really scared at how this week will go. The stepkids can be a complete handful, and if they can't have what they want or their own way we get tantrums. I know this is children however if I am to be taking all of our kids out on my own and they both act up they are old enough to think to run off etc. But I also don't want them being stuck indoors the whole time. We also can't afford to constantly be out every day as near where we live we have to travel everywhere to get to something fun and car parking etc isn't cheap. A week is a long time on my own trying to look after all our kids, am I right in saying I feel this is unfair and if he can't take some time off (he works 6 day weekS otherwise) that he should maybe reduce the time we have them. Usually our kids would be in nursery however it seems to be that the nursery is closed this same week aswell. My stepkids are very very difficult, and I struggle enough weekends. Any tips or any advice or even fun at home activities that you can recommend. And how would you deal with awakward step kid questions, they always ask me what holidays me, dp and our kids are going on or what days out we have done or why we have this or why we have w new car (needed to get a seven seater) and won't pay their mummy more. Any Advice?

OP posts:
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ArnoldBee · 24/06/2018 09:31

If you live in the UK you could get National Trust membership for days out?

FatCow2018 · 24/06/2018 09:33

Please stop calling it childcare!
You are not babysitting.
You're supposed to be family

THIS! Why why why do people like you get into relationships with people who already have children? Why would you do that when ypu clearly believe you should come before them?! Those poor kids Sad
Yours will be in the same boat if you split up, I wonder if you will think his ex was so unreasonable then Hmm

funinthesun18 · 24/06/2018 09:38

I’m curious about what he would have done for childcare if he didn’t have you there conveniently. It actually makes me cross that so many dads will agree to have their children when they know they won’t be around. It’s actually you who should have got the final say in whether they will be coming or not.

funinthesun18 · 24/06/2018 09:41

FatCow It is childcare/babysitting though. It’s just like grandparents having the children for a week. That’s called free childcare too.

You can be with someone with children and still object to being a bloody doormat.

Crossroads18 · 24/06/2018 09:42

@funinthesun18 I imagine he would be living in their home town so he would use his mum for childcare. She use to help out a lot when they were both working, and she doesn't work many days herself. The ex wife will always ring her and ask her to help with kids if her family couldn't. He said to me that he will be home at about 4 so he can have the evenings with them so he will still get time and it's more that they feel they can stay here regardless of who looks after them.

OP posts:
flamingofridays · 24/06/2018 09:56

Yours will be in the same boat if you split up, I wonder if you will think his ex was so unreasonable then

A reasonable person would arrange it well in advance and this wouldn't happen. Ex is still unreasonable.

Petrolismygas · 24/06/2018 10:22

it's more that they feel they can stay here regardless of who looks after them.

Really?
You don't think they should feel that they can stay?
With their half siblings?

Doyoumind · 24/06/2018 10:23

I can't understand why this hasn't been organised and agreed. If you have a child together your DH has been living away from the DSC for a long time. He should have a plan in place to have them for part of the holidays that's applied each year. I don't buy the ex making it difficult. If he had wanted it he would have fought for it.

Crossroads18 · 24/06/2018 10:28

@Petrolismygas
I didn't mean I don't want them to feel
Welcome. Think it was worded wrong. My partner feels that because he works 6am until 4pm that he will be home to cook dinner and spend a few hours in the evening with them and he doesn't feel it matters whether I look after them all
Day or he looks after them all day as it's a second home to them so either way they should feel welcome here and are welcome here whenever: and he wants them to feel that they are looked after a safe by me aswell as him.

OP posts:
amilosingitor · 24/06/2018 10:31

I don't know if you're being unreasonable but I treat DSD like my own and assume responsibility for her while her mum and dad both work...it's hard but that's a family?

NorthernSpirit · 24/06/2018 10:42

My OH has a defined contact order - which states he has the children half of all the school holidays + Easter, Christmas.

My OH works full time. Mum works 3 PT days a week (16 hours). He does half of the holidays plus 2.5 weeks in the summer holidays.

Your OH needs to take the time off and parent his own children.

ohreallyohreallyoh · 24/06/2018 10:46

They’re not your kids. Don’t be her free child care

Yeah, because it’s all about her. 6 weeks to cover and the father can’t manage one but somehow that’s the mother’s fault?

What utter bollox.

Crossroads18 · 24/06/2018 10:54

@ohreallyohreallyoh she doesn't work at all though. It's not like she needs him
To have the kids so she can work. She isn't planning on working anytime soon either. Plus if we had them half the school holidays we would technically be paying her child maintenance for nothing, and because it's through csa he has to stick To what they say not what a agreement between them. Then we would struggle the whole holidays and couldn't give them as much as they would want. I am happy to have them and look after them when he's at work just feel a week though is taking the Mickey a little as I am going to be so limited to what I can do. I had plans that week with my friends and their kids which we have had to cancel and lose out on: but unfortunately my friends wouldn't be willing to do the days out with the stepkids because of the behaviour x

OP posts:
flamingofridays · 24/06/2018 11:29

Yeah, because it’s all abouther. 6 weeks to cover and the father can’t manage one but somehow that’s the mother’s fault

If she had given him so notice they wouldn't be in this situation?

Op says ex doesn't work so it's not a vase of she needs him to cover this week. She has picked this week at short notice.

Op get a court order then you know where you are.

Oswin · 24/06/2018 12:12

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LaMomeetlememe · 24/06/2018 12:24

Really bad attitude OP. Your DH will treat you and your kids exactly the same way in the future. It would be smart if you built bridges with the ex. You could help each other out in the holidays for childcare once he's fucked you and your kids over too. Your kids might even get some hand me down clothes from hers too since it doesnt seem like your DH will be contributing.

Don't you see who the problem is?

takeittakeit · 24/06/2018 12:36

OP- your DP is a waste of space.

The Mum organises the summer because quite frankly - she can not rely on your DP to front up and do a week. I completely understand her position.

He could quite easily state I have this week free in January and she would be able to work around it.

As a family you both decided to take your 2 DCS away, when his DCS were in school and now do not have time or monies to have them over the summer - sorry absolutely piss poor parenting and so unfair on his DCs. There compensation is a weekend away - sorry pathetic!

YOur DP needs to grow up- OK for Mum to foot the holiday club bill but not for him to contribute, OK to use up his holiday for his other 2 DCs but ignore the others, not contribute towards child care costs during holiday time and by the way the EX is not his free child care on what should be his time just because she does not work.

Your DP is not behaving right by all his children and he has two women doing it all for him.

funinthesun18 · 24/06/2018 12:44

You could help each other out in the holidays for childcare once he's fucked you and your kids over too. Your kids might even get some hand me down clothes from hers too since it doesnt seem like your DH will be contributing.

Yeah I very much doubt the OP will be wanting childcare and hand me downs from the ex. I’m sure she will get by without her... Hmm

lunar1 · 24/06/2018 13:13

What the ex has done is irrelevant now, she asked he said yes.

He is going to have to find a way to take leave, if that is unpaid leave or making back the time he needs to honour the commitment he made to his children.

In future he might want to think about saving some annual leave for them-why he hasn't is beyond me! Most of us keep holidays back for illness etc. There is no way I would agree to his plan, it will be miserable for you and all four children.

ohreallyohreallyoh · 24/06/2018 13:18

she doesn't work at all though. It's not like she needs him To have the kids so she can work

And? There are still 6 weeks to cover. Why are all those weeks his ex’s responsibility? Why is one week too much? I can just about understand the frustration if she doesn’t work but even so, why can’t he make arrangements to cover some of the holidays? There are an additional 7 weeks during the year....are they all her responsibility?

indisdress · 24/06/2018 13:34

It doesn’t matter if she works or not! He should want to have them regardless. You said they hardly ever get to stay. Plus if they are so difficult, she deserves a break from having them every day

And no, him having them half the holidays wouldn’t mean he was paying CM for nothing. Half holidays doesn’t equate to 50/50 if he’s hardly having them any other time.

flamingofridays · 24/06/2018 13:48

Has everyone ignored what op said? He asked if he could have them she said no they had plans and now all of a sudden they don't and she wants him to have them. Nobody has mentioned the fact she initially said no

And frankly the post about op getting hand me downs from the ez was vicious and unnecessary. Her dh pays maintenance also so it was absolute bollocks too.

Nasty posters on here.

Petrolismygas · 24/06/2018 13:50

OP, do you not see that the problem here is actually how you and your DP treat the kids.

You expect bad behaviour and obviously have a dislike of them.

That's what they pick up on.

You don't want them to come out with you and your friends incase they misbehave? Why wouldn't they, wether they behave or not the result is the same.

Stop blaming their mum, she didn't conceive alone. He needs to step up and be a parent. Not you. You are neither willing or able.

He has said he will came for them because he said yes to their mum, let him.

indisdress · 24/06/2018 14:00

Flaming she didn’t say no, she said she wasn’t sure if he could have them for longer.

That’s when OPs OH should have been firmer, kept days aside and went to court if he was so desperate to see his kids.

funinthesun18 · 24/06/2018 14:02

Plus if they are so difficult, she deserves a break from having them every day

Good job the op is around then isn’t it Hmm

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