Is it? OP admits that her ex is a good dad because OP has pushed him to be that, and forced him to spend time with the children. OP, when your husband does most of the overnights and you aren’t there to cajole him, how is he going to handle middle of the night illness, nosebleeds, bad dreams, wet beds? Do you want your kids being ignored or complained at for throwing up at 2am? |
Do a few day on few day off schedule so you can work. He can pay for child care. |
If he wants to see them every day, he can drive his butt over to where the kids are. This is all bananas. Your kids also aren’t going to want to be dragged around multiple times a day — this isn’t in their best interest.
All of this is so bananas. You don’t have to be ANGRY to fight for an equitable distribution of money and time/responsibilities for kids. You need to be cool, calm and rational. What you are describing now as the potential arrangement isn’t rational. |
You are either not a therapist or you are a troll. Anger is protective. Anger is motivating. Healthy, well-directed anger is what drives justice. It’s not the only emotion in the mix but the idea that it should be banished in the way you seem to be banishing it is…let’s just leave it there: I don’t actually believe that a therapist wrote this. |
You are young. You are not understanding that before you know it, your kids will be gone and you will be old! The very best gift you can give your kids is for you to become financially secure now by getting your fair share of the household’s assets. If you don’t, you are risking your kids having to spend their assets to take care of you when you are old or get sick. It’s not about stuff, it is about having enough to fund retirement or a nursing home if needed. Taking half protects your kids!!! |
NP; only read page 1.
Instead of “picking up” at 7, can WFH arrive at other parent’s home at 7 and stay there until time to leave for school? Otherwise, time in car and number of car drives is too much for young kids. |
It makes no sense. Do a few days on, few days off or S-W, W-S or some kind of consistent schedule and he needs to hire help. OP shouldn't be his babysitter and have to only work around his schedule. He needs to figure it out. Its not the car time, but number of changes/no stability and mom being his babysitter. So, she does the homework, snack/dinner, bath? He just puts them to bed and breakfast? No. |
THIS x1000. I spent two+ years in court and six figures to fight for me staying in family home after x filed for divorce. He only cared about the optics, while I only cared about the kids, especially their relationship with me, their primary caregiver (100% caregiver according to the judge). I moved out for the two years bc x refused to budge. My relationship with our kids and their opinion of me plummeted. It was the worst thing I have ever experienced. Now that I am back home, we are making huge strides in regaining our connection. DO NOT BE A DOORMAT. FIGHT FOR YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR CHILDREN. Also, show them how they should expect to be treated by a partner that cheats on a marriage. |
I see your points. At the very least, she should only agree to do this for a limited time. Come up with a timeline that fits the kids current needs and put in writing that schedule will be re-assessed after the current school year ends. If the above is possible, she could consider establishing separate living spaces in the family home for the rest of the school year. |
You can do whatever you want, but any schedule that is overly enmeshed like this is likely to create a lot of drama once one or both of you start dating. |
At a bare minimum, commuting spouse should be dropping off/picking up kids. Is commuting spouse ever home later than 6pm? What happens then? Maybe your kids are more cooperative than mine, but getting 3 kids in the car can be the worst sometimes.
Another consideration is that 7.30 bedtime won’t last forever. At some point, sports/activities will interfere with having eaten dinner by 6pm. |