I have three older kids. I have not seen them since before the first Covid lockdown when the other parent wanted to claim on my insurance to get a new kitchen and bathroom.
When I refused they said they would have to choose between a family holiday or house refurbishment. They said they were going to tell the kids that there would be no holiday that year because of me.
Within a minute I had angry texts from all three. One said never to call him and he'd blocked my mobile and work numbers.
Prior to this I had been taking them to school most mornings. This was annoying my ex as they frequently told the kids I was always late. It was also in addition to agreed contact. Me getting them to school on time after they'd missed the bus went against that narrative.
My gran died recently. My ex brought the kids to the funeral but they left without speaking. My ex later phoned my dad to say that they left as my son was going to hit me.
I've not seen him in 5 years but have been sending birthday and Christmas presents and inviting them to all family get togethers. I normally don't even get a thank you. But he is increasingly angry?
I think my ex is obviously telling the kids things. I don't know exactly what. I assume it is money related.
I am self employed and used to do quite well. Things have been difficult but I have given my ex my house mortgage free plus paid their debts. I also took on the house we had jointly owned which is in arrears and in need of repairs.
I had to borrow money to pay of the other mortgage including from family members. I am still paying this as well as trying to clear arrears on my own mortgage.
There is a narrative being fed that I'm loaded and the ex is poor. It actually the other way about. Following the divorce (when I first saw financial disclosure) I worked out they had almost 500k more than me during the period from separation to divorce.
This extra income was used on takeaways and expensive holidays. 2 of the kids are very overweight now. There are no savings unless they lied in the financial disclosure.
I have never once complained about lack of money to the kids. It was not a worry they needed.
Should I tell them now? Two will be going to uni and I have no way of supporting them.
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Reaching out to alienated kids?
MM1972 · 09/04/2024 13:28
SunStorms · 10/04/2024 12:05
Your ex spent half a million pounds on takeaways and holidays?!! I assume 500k a typo?
I’m also slightly confused about your ex wanting to claim on your insurance for a new kitchen and bathroom. Was there an incident covered by insurance that caused them to be damaged? If so, and you refused to claim, that is pretty bad and controlling. I’m not surprised your DC are angry. Why were you insuring their home in your name if you gave your ex the house?
Constantdistractions · 10/04/2024 12:06
You need give your DC more credit, they are their own people with their own brains who have come to their own decisions. You said it can't be you fault as you haven't seen them in 5 years, maybe that's the problem. You did fuck all. You wasn't there, you wasn't a parent to them. Stop trying to blame others for your lack of a relationship with your children and take responsibility.
SunStorms · 10/04/2024 12:05
Your ex spent half a million pounds on takeaways and holidays?!! I assume 500k a typo?
I’m also slightly confused about your ex wanting to claim on your insurance for a new kitchen and bathroom. Was there an incident covered by insurance that caused them to be damaged? If so, and you refused to claim, that is pretty bad and controlling. I’m not surprised your DC are angry. Why were you insuring their home in your name if you gave your ex the house?
Octavia64 · 10/04/2024 11:53
I suspect a lot of this is deriving from the back story.
Were you married? Were there assets shared fairly and visibly fairly?
What happened before Covid?
There is a big difference between
"The police made me leave the house as I regularly hit my children and now as teens they don't like me"
And
We got divorced and I was fair but have been struggling with the relationship.
MM1972 · 10/04/2024 12:44
I don't think there was any damage. At the time I was still paying both mortgages and rates and home insurance. I had never made a claim and didn't want to. I think my ex just fancied a new kitchen and bathroom for the house that I would be shortly handing over to them.
SunStorms · 10/04/2024 12:05
Your ex spent half a million pounds on takeaways and holidays?!! I assume 500k a typo?
I’m also slightly confused about your ex wanting to claim on your insurance for a new kitchen and bathroom. Was there an incident covered by insurance that caused them to be damaged? If so, and you refused to claim, that is pretty bad and controlling. I’m not surprised your DC are angry. Why were you insuring their home in your name if you gave your ex the house?
SunStorms · 10/04/2024 12:44
So you mean they got a bigger settlement than 50:50? Clearly the court thought that was appropriate.
You haven’t answered my question about the insurance claim. Why wouldn’t you let them claim on the insurance if there was a genuine reason to claim?
SunStorms · 10/04/2024 12:50
Ok. Thanks for answering. It doesn’t really make sense though. If there was no reason for claiming on the insurance, how did your ex think you could make a claim? Surely there must have some conversation where either you explained you can’t claim for wear and tear or she suggested making a fraudulent claim? You must have asked why she wanted to make a claim.
SunStorms · 10/04/2024 12:58
I would say therein lies the issue. Or one of them.
You didn’t “want to make a claim” so you didn’t but you don’t actually know whether there was a legitimate claim or not.
MM1972 · 10/04/2024 12:44
I don't think there was any damage. At the time I was still paying both mortgages and rates and home insurance. I had never made a claim and didn't want to. I think my ex just fancied a new kitchen and bathroom for the house that I would be shortly handing over to them.
SunStorms · 10/04/2024 12:05
Your ex spent half a million pounds on takeaways and holidays?!! I assume 500k a typo?
I’m also slightly confused about your ex wanting to claim on your insurance for a new kitchen and bathroom. Was there an incident covered by insurance that caused them to be damaged? If so, and you refused to claim, that is pretty bad and controlling. I’m not surprised your DC are angry. Why were you insuring their home in your name if you gave your ex the house?
Constantdistractions · 10/04/2024 12:55
To answer your question, no you don't contact them to bad mouth their mother and tell your side of the story. They aren't interested in that. They don't want to hear you bitching about the woman that brought them up. You contact them to say 'sorry, I messed up, how can we fix things?' Anything else will make them angrier.
SpecialistAdviceNeeded · 10/04/2024 13:04
On mumsnet the alienated parent is generally the cause of alienation - as you can see from previous posters.
In my experience this is most certainly not always the case. It is also an extremely difficult thing to navigate - especially for children.
I would suggest you reach out to a specialist in adolescent psychology and family dynamics to help you navigate this period rather than rely on mumsnet for advice.
SunStorms · 10/04/2024 12:50
Ok. Thanks for answering. It doesn’t really make sense though. If there was no reason for claiming on the insurance, how did your ex think you could make a claim? Surely there must have some conversation where either you explained you can’t claim for wear and tear or she suggested making a fraudulent claim? You must have asked why she wanted to make a claim.
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Wishitsnows · 10/04/2024 12:50
Interesting that you haven’t spoken to you children in 5 years and when you see them at the funeral your first thought is they are now fat. Nice.
Wishitsnows · 10/04/2024 12:50
Interesting that you haven’t spoken to you children in 5 years and when you see them at the funeral your first thought is they are now fat. Nice.
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