While I think that keeping mom in line was a poor choice of words, however it was obviously a gesture of goodwill. In his mind he was doing something nice for his ex and he probably did expect some type of reciprocity. Doing 99% of the parenting and being yelled at that he’s doing it wrong does not count as reciprocity. |
+1 the dad doing 99% of the parenting is the one in the right. Dead beat mom who thinks shes MOTY for drawing the line at video games that won’t even be played at her house is a real piece of work. Her sister has her number. The real issue wasn’t even that she disapproved, it was that her daughter wouldn’t share it with her evil brat step brothers. Mom’s got her priorities straight. Probably just doesn’t want to piss off her new husband and treats her own daughter like garbage. |
| OP get some help to figure out why you feel the need to feed this drama. This young person does not need a PS%. She needs as many grown ups in her life as possible who act like grown ups and take the high road and don't try to cause drama. A gift would be to get yourself help so you can be a positive influence in her life. Stop trying to buy love. |
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Here’s the real concern:
You’ve now triggered a pissing match between your sister and your niece’s father. He filed for child support and that’s causing a financial hardship. It is very very likely that your sister files for 50/50 custody to reduce/eliminate child support. The stepdad already didn’t like your niece before any of this. Now he’s going to absolutely hate her. That would put her in such a vulnerable position if she were forced to live in that house half her life. You didn’t do anything wrong, but you also didn’t do anything right. Nobody is thinking about protecting this girl. It’s common for parents to be the ones to smooth over awkward social situations with their children and extended family. Both parents have abdicated this role and that leaves your niece really phucking vulnerable. |
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How old is the niece?
Where was the PS5 given and opened? Was it a family birthday party? At whose house? |
This is all between the sister and her niece's father. How often does anyone feel bad for a dad who has a hard time scraping together his child support? The sister shouldn't get off easy because she's a woman and CS is now a hardship. She should have been paying all along. She got upset over a game console and now has to pay the piper. The daughter is the only one deserving of sympathy. There has to be a lot more history here than just this one incident, OP seemed to know just which buttons to push. |
+1 Focus on well being of niece first |
That's not how it works in child custody. She signed the paperwork agreeing to ex getting primary custody, with the attending CS, despite not paying it and ex not collecting it. There has to be a change in circumstances that would trigger a change in custody and "I screwed up and can't afford the child support I agreed to, and now I want to avoid actually paying for my daughter's needs by having her live with me" isn't on that list. If you can't afford child support, how can you afford to actually house your child? This is ridiculous. |
I think if you had stopped after paragraph one, you might be in the clear. The rest, where you "warned" her overstepped. |
| Op and her sister love the drama. |
Obviously, she wouldn’t use child support as the reason. No child custody agreement is ever “forever” she could simply file saying that after trying dad having full custody it is not working and the child would’ve better off spending equal time with each of her parents.People ask for adjustments in custody all the time. If she wanted to go nuclear she could claim parental alienation and try to get full custody. The only person who loses here is the girl. Again, zero people are looking out for her best interests. |
That's still game playing. And complete BS and shouldn't be posted here as strategy. No one should see that - OP, anyone else in similar situation - as a strategy. It's why our family courts are BROKEN and sick. P.S. "Hmmm, gee, it's not working" on the heels of finally paying child support isn't a valid reason. Courts aren't as stupid as you think they are. They're broken, but they're not as stupid as "what a coincidence, the minute she has to pay child support, suddenly this arrangement isn't working" stupid. P.P.S. You should be ashamed for even suggesting parental alienation syndrome. |
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I wouldn't have warned her about alienating her daughter, that's going to fall on deaf ears. I probably would have shrugged her off with an "oops! sorry, didn't know!"
But having to pay child support is 100% on her. Fathers don't get any slack for skipping out on child support, mothers shouldn't, either. Legally she needs to, the money belongs to her daughter. And if she's paying $900 a month, she makes good money and will be fine. She'll just need to cut luxury expenses. |
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How many stepkids are there??? How old are they?
It sounds like there are boys and her stepdad also doesn’t like the girl. It is really hard to go from being an only child to suddenly living with a bunch of men/boys who do not like you. I feel really bad for this girl. |
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OP here,
To clear some things up. My niece is 15. She is my sisters only bio child. Her 2 step kids are like 12 or 14. I'm really not sure their ages. The party was actually not at my sisters house. It was held at water park which her father paid for and my sister brought the cake. They have been doing joint bday parties for years but no joint holidays. I know people won't believe this but I did not buy the ps5 to cause drama. She has wanted one so bad. I did not ask my sister if my niece could have one for the simple fact that she does not live with her. She lives with her dad and he will be the one buying games for her ps5. It was that simple. The stepkids are going to have to get use to it. Nieces dad is in a different income bracket and his only child so she is going to get nicer things. Next year he told me he was getting her a brand new car for her 16th bday. That ps5 brought the crazy out of people. |