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let me get this straight...

smnikki's picture

bm got a new job, her schedule does not work with our current joint custody schedule. bm has ss every wed and thurs, we have every mon tues....and then we switch off every other fri sat sun

well..bm calls dh today to say that they MUST change. we have to take wed thurs because those are her two late days at work and she wont be able to pick up ss by pick up time at day care. She demands that she has to change it because she doesnt want to inconvienece her bf to pick up ss on her late days.

here is the funny part! on monday, bm called dh to tell him that the day care lady said they were closing early due to it being a holiday...so smnikki would need to pick him up by 430....um excuse the poor piss out of me! so your bf doenst do a freaking thing, but you EXPECT me to pick up YOUR kid because your schedule changed....?

im thinking i should disengage and refuse to do these things, so that since she treats me like shit she needs to know im not going to help her out, but then dh would be more stressed, and hes an amazing husband who doesnt deserve that....i want to help him, but absolutely not her, how do i do this?

Comments

Jsmom's picture

Personally - I don't think the Boyfriend should have any responsibility here until they are married. DH has it in the Custody order that the spouses have first obligation. Our BM had no option but to have us help unless she married her BF. So she did last month. Now it is an even playing field. Our BM has the same crazy schedule and it kept interferring with our lives, now we forced one week on and one week off and it is much better for all of us and especially the kids.

smnikki's picture

well, her and bf have been together over 2 years. the way i see it, her custodial time, her problem, and her responsibility. She called and demanded that i pick ss up because she could not and she knew my dh was working. and thats after screaming on the phone a week ago calling me a fucking bitch and saying i need to learn my boundaries. ummmmmm, excuse me, then dont order me around.

i do feel obligated because i am helping my spouse, as i feel her bf should be obligated when it is her time to have ss. **but the issue is that her and bf are having issues and she doesnt want to bother him. So, i feel that just because her life has issues, she can not dis respect dh and i when ever she feels like it, and then expect us to pick up her slack when she needs us too.

stepmom008's picture

I agree that BF should help out. Neither BF and me, nor Wilda and Loser Boyfriend are married but I definitely help out with things like that (only if my BF asks) and I know that LB does as well. I think if you're in a living together situation with a kid involved then you should be functioning as though your married, even though BF might be too chickenshit to get married again right now. Ooops! Did I say that? Come on Jackass - ask me already!!! HA!

Sorry for the diversion Smile

"There are two things over which you have complete dominion, authority, and control over - your mind and your mouth".

steppinginsf's picture

We have the exact same custody schedule!!!!
As for what you say--- I wonder with a little bit of deep breathing, and if your DH sets up the situation well, if this could be an opportunity to have a conversation about the needs of each household and to tweak the schedule accordingly. I am so hoping that this can happen in my life at some point soon--- b/c all of the back/forth ("negotiations" as my FH calls it) is really not about the kids. It's about the adults, egos, etc. And perhaps (as in my situation), dysfunctional patterns and ways of relation between DH and BM that have been established and ingrained for a long time.
I am hoping that at some point soon my FH, BM, her husband, and me can do this. B/c each household/family needs to have a schedule that works for them (the child being a part of each household), each household needs to be treated with respect, and it really needs to be about those things-- not the egos of the adults involved (which it is, largely, in my case).

Gestalt's picture

At least she has a job right? Maybe she's going all wonky because she scared of losing her job if she can't make arrangments for kiddo.

"The beauty of life is, while we cannot undo what is done, we can see it, understand it, learn from it and change, So that every new moment is spent not in regret, guilt, fear or anger, but in wisdom, understanding, and love." -Jennifer Edwards

smnikki's picture

yes, maybe, but not our problem. her bad choices and short comings are not our problem and unless she straightens up and stops being such a bitch about everything, im not going to pick up the slack for her

soverysad's picture

I'm with you. Ideally, you should be able to deal with each other and tweak as necessary, but not if its a one way street. Like I tell dh - we don't HAVE to do anything the custody order doesn't say we HAVE to do.

"God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy" and you can't change crazy!!

smnikki's picture

not really, bm and dh would figure something out that was fine for ss, it would be just taking away time for ss and i together, and giving bm the opportunity to use it against me later....maybe thats the way i need to look at it. instead of her being a bitch and making sure that i dont have time with ss, shes handing him over! and ss and i love to hang out with each other!

Rainbow.Bright's picture

Wow, sounds like a crazy BM alright. Everything on their terms...it's their world and we are just living in it apparently.

My suggestion is treat her like the child that she is, mentally, put her (BM not the kid lol) on a structure and do not deviate from that, it becomes much simpler. Once the BM in my situation realized she had no wiggle room, the excuses vanished. DH told her if she can't handle her court ordered days, he would gladly take them off her hands, but she would be getting none of his days. Of course she threw a fit, but what is she going to do besides spend the time and money to go back to court? And what's she going to do in the mean time?

We play hard ball. It's the only way she understands her boundaries, we do not deviate, we do not compromise, and we do not play games. Her power to control and manipulate is so far reduced from what it was, that we can finally function without worrying the way we used to what the next drama is going to be.

smnikki's picture

thats a great phrase...im going to mention it to dh tonight!!

"DH told her if she can't handle her court ordered days, he would gladly take them off her hands, but she would be getting none of his days."

this will surely keep bm in line, lol and im sure put her grandma panties in a bunch too, but none the less, to the point and what can she say?

Rainbow.Bright's picture

Exactly! I think the mistake we made in the beginning is making her problem our problem for the 'sake of the child'. But we got burned SO many times, that we now take the stance of 'be an adult and figure it out.' And if she can't, she knows that by DH picking up her slack she could lose the half custody that she has. And SD is better off now than when we were trying to appease the monster.

Sure BM thinks she is a victim in all this, and DH is so mean to her blah blah blah, but who gives a rats ass what she thinks in that twisted pea brain?

smnikki's picture

that and, no mtter what you do, she is always going to make you guys out that way regardless....i think bm's like our are perpetually the victim, sympathy is the only way they know how to get through life

LizzieA's picture

I had shared custody for 15 years with my ex for my DD. On my weeks, I figured out child care. On his weeks, he figured it out. Simple. SMN, pick him up if YOU want to, if it works for you, but don't feel obligated, like you are on call. That is just more BM game playing, power trips.

smnikki's picture

HA, now she called this morning to say that she didnt want to change the schedule after all, her bf is going to help her....i guess in a week when they are on the rocks again it will change....oh wait, really, bf will help means that satan(my mil who is bff with bm) is going to help

now ss is signed up for tball, the funny thing is that bm thinks she is going to control who takes him when she is at work, too bad she made a big stink last year, and said that the parents have fist right even if it isnt their day!!! so now her bf and mil will never be able to take ss! ha

Rainbow.Bright's picture

See, it's always catering to a person who can't ever get their life straight. Why even try? They'll be up to some other antics next week.