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How to keep communication from ex to a minimum

4ever's picture

Thanks for all the advice about my situation. I have another question altogether. My husband's counselor told him this week that the 200 plus emails/texts/calls between him and his ex every month is excessive. Its all supposedly about their daughter but a lot of it is unnecessary. He recommneded Our Family software. Has anyone used this? The problem is that i don't think the ex will use it. She'll still call and text and email my husband allt he time. Should he just ignore everything from her unless it's an emergency? He's worked so hard for the past 7 years to maintain an even keel relationship with his ex for the sake of his daughter. She's 12 and spends 50/50 time (for now anyway). We're both so tired of the constant intrusions and it was good to hear from a counselor that its too much. My husband doesn't know how to make the switch from overcommunicating to something more reasonable. Does he use something like Our Family? Does he just tell his ex 'unless it's an emergency i will not respond.' She would flip out if he did that and it's already very strained right now. It's stuff like this that the ex will text 'she (the daughter) seemed tired on the way to school this morning. will you call me when you pick her up and tell me how she's doing?' She makes it sound like it's about their kid but it's all so unnecsesary. She always has access to my husband and he's finally tired of it. When his ex is being normal its just a minor annoyance but about once a month she freaks out about something and it really creates havoc in our home. We need a way for them to communicate about their daughters well being, visit schedule, activities, etc and that's it.

blayze's picture

Geez. Of course 200 texts/calls is excessive. They don't need to talk that much. He should tell her it's excessive and that he only wants phone/text communication in case of an emergency - blood, broken bones, unavoidable schedule changes. Spell it out. Then monitor her behavior for a month. She'll rebel at first, and that's okay. If she's sane, she'll mellow out and get with the program.

If she doesn't get the picture, he might want to just change his number. Then TELL the ex that he's going to email only communication. What is she really going to do then?

Anyway, I've heard good reviews about Our Family Wizard. It's worth a shot if you have a high-conflict BM.

My ex and I have 50/50. There's usually 2-3 2-minute phone calls per month, 3-4 texts - usually on pickup/dropoff day, and 1-2 emails for travel arrangements/holiday scheduling/homework crap. We get along fine, but I have no desire to have my EX intrude on my daily life... and when I got serious with SO, I had to put some boundaries up with my ex. There was minimal pushback because he's sane.

My SO and BM on the other hand... grrr. She was calling too much all under the guise of "kid issues" which equaled BM-issues. She even lied and said she was taking SD to the hospital one day to get stitches - while she was threatening to tell the court that SO "beat her". Bullshit. SO changed his number. Then BM started sending shitty emails. More documentation of the crazy. Thanks dummy!

When he wouldn't respond she tried catching him at work. Oh HELL no. I wasn't having a woman calling MY MAN at work when I don't even call him there. Now --- it's written in the court order: "EMAIL communication between parents ONLY." In bold! I didn't even know they could do that. Smile But with SO's insistence to the GAL about not wanting to be interrupted by a crazy BM (and sharing her stupid emails), she doesn't get in touch at all. She knows everything she writes will be used against her in court. And that any response to her dumbassedness will be discussed by THIS couple first.

It's fucking lovely.

Guide your man, girlfriend! He doesn't know how to manage women's emotions. BM's communication can be diffused... if both you and your man have the courage to do so.

4ever's picture

My husband would be so happy to have your sitaution with your ex. Sounds like your other situation is bad though. That sucks. I think what you suggest is what he's going to try. lay it all out calmly and then enforce it and model it for her until she gets it. honestly its putting a strain on our marriage. the every day stuff doesn't matter to me I don't even know about it but I'm convinced that it's the steady access to him that makes his ex think she has an 'in' to create drama like she does. I'm just so tired.

misSTEP's picture

The best thing we ever did was get a "No Contact Order" placed right in the CO because of BM's harassment. That was also the provision she fought most when they were negotiating things!

Raggles's picture

This is insane!! 200 calls/communication pm when you have 50/50??

I would change phone numbers and stick to email communication only. I would set up a new email account for communication with her only. Check it once a day to start with. Ensure she is blocked on old email address.
Only answer the serious ones where necessary. If she doesnt like it ... tough.
There is no need to communicate with her at all when you have the child.

dood's picture

I-m so happy This I-m so happy

That is completely unacceptable. I put my foot down with my SO very early on in our relationship. Only in an emergency. Period. Dot. He blocked her from his cell phone and just totally cut all communication (finally). At first, she got even more insane and used the skid's phone to harass SO. When she texted him using DS's phone, her texts were ignored. No matter what skanky, horrid crap she texted to him, SO just ignored it completely. After a while she just gave up. She hasn't tried to contact SO for about a year now. SO's DS is 14 and anything that needs to be discussed he discusses directly with DS.

You know what? Life has gone on... no drama. Highly recommend this approach.
Good luck to you.

4ever's picture

I'm glad to know it's not normal! I think my husband would like to explain to her how he's streamlining their communication and then ignore her. He doesn't have to change numbers i don't think, just block her number from calls/texts and respond only to email that's necessary. that's the plan anyway we'll see how it happens.

QueenBeau's picture

If they have a good relationiship & he is afraid of rocking the boat, I wouldn't say anything to her at all. I'd just stop answering the texts/calls that weren't emergencies. If she asks why later, just say he feels the communication is getting excessive & he just doesn't have time to answer everything or something like that.

4ever's picture

This is what my husband has tried in the past . But unanswered texts and emails turn into angry phone call one after another. It's easier to keep her happy except that the access to him makes her think that she can cause drama any time she wants. I've always thought that they had a pretty friendly relationship but lately my husband and i have been talking about how about once a month she creates a 'crisis' that requires that they meet to discuss their daughter. He's really tired of it because its so unnecssary.

hereiam's picture

It's easier to keep her happy

This is what she counts on and what he has to put an end to. Time to play hardball. Why should everybody bend over backwards to make HER happy?

4ever's picture

I think my husband was worried deep down that if he didn't keep his ex happy she would find a way to take his daughter from him. Well now his daughter is 12 and wants to spend more time with her mom so what is he afraid of?

QueenBeau's picture

When she has these angry calls, 1 after another - ignore them all. Send an email highlighting how inappropriate they are & let her know to keep all communication that isn't life or death to email.

She is throwing a fit & calling back to back because she knows it works. Eventually she will give up. Hold firm.

4ever's picture

Okay. It's just all up to my husband and I think he's at the end of his rope but if hes not and this goes on and on I just don't know what to do but remove myself.

hereiam's picture

From what I understand, Our Family Wizard costs money so if she won't use it, it's just going to be a waste. Both parties have to be willing for it to work and it doesn't sound like she is the type who will use it. She sounds excessively needy, not just high conflict, so unless it's court ordered and there are consequences, I doubt she would stick to it.

She's going to be pissed no matter what he does so he might as well try to talk to her about it first and let her know that he will no longer be playing this game. Then he actually needs to do something, whether it be change his number, ignore her calls/texts, whatever, to show that he's serious.

Back when my SD was young, cell phones were not the norm and my DH didn't do email back then so he either ignored BM's calls (if important, she could leave a message) or if she started going on about inconsequential stuff (like her personal life) he hung up on her. She was warned but didn't think he'd actually do it. When he did, which was totally out of character for him, she knew he was serious.

These type of women will do whatever they can get away with. Your DH has to show that he's serious and put a stop to it.

4ever's picture

I think i'm going to print off your comment and share it with my husband i'm not joking! That's what i think, exactly. I think he might be ready for that but it's a matter of how to do it. I'm curious if you think this would work if the custody was like 70/30 (looks like his daughter is going to spend more time with her mom for now). Or did he just make the monster worse by agreeing to more time with his ex? Will his ex have more reason to be in touch with him? Does Our Family actually work? What if the ex refuses to use it? That's an expensive thing if she doesn't use it!

4ever's picture

Okay, wow. I will pay for Our Family myself if I thought she and my husband would use it! I'll talk with him about it tonight.

dood's picture

I agree with hereiam... If your DH does nothing to change things, nothing will change. They are not married. She has lost the right to be in DH's face on a regular basis.

4ever's picture

Thats how I see it too. He despises his ex but when I say "she doesn't get to have a relationship with you anymore" he gets upset. I think he thinks that I'm saying he's not strong enough to deal with her. He hates that. but then I think but your allowing this?

4ever's picture

Thats all true. It's been a hard realization for me because I don't want to think that about my husband but there's no way around it. I'd almost prefer if he did it because he still had feelings for her but i know he doesn't. She makes his skin crawl and he thinks she's a terrible person. Which means that he lets it happen because on some level he's afraid of her. Honestly I think their relationship was emotionally abusive and he has never really dealt with how she manipulated and controlled him for 15 years which is why he's still letting her do it. I'm so overwhelmed right now!

SemiSaneMama's picture

Change numbers & emails. Get a landline and let it go to online voicemail only. That is wayyyy too much communication.

twoviewpoints's picture

If Dh is going to do the 70/30 instead of the 50/50, he should do it with a modified CO/PP. For if your state is one that counts overnights ect for CS and/or if the change opens up CS where it didn't exist prior, you need it done legally and documented.

This would also be the time to include the communication issue. Yes, Our Family Wizard is sometimes court ordered. If that were the case in your modification BM wouldn't have the option of not using it. The cost of the program is not overly expensive (a yearly fee) and DH could agree to paying the fee for both him and BM (if it brings some peace to your household it's worth every cent).

Also with SD being twelve she's getting to the age where she can do some of the back and forth on her own. No not adult stuff (that's the parents job to arrange exchanges, possible switched evening occasionally ect), but the example of 'have SD call me after school'. Why was that text necessary at all. Why not BM just call her daughter after school and ask SD how her day went. Why bring Dad into it at all. If SD wants to call Mom or Dad, at 12 she should be able to pick up the phone and do so. With that said, sometimes calling back and forth gets abused. Some parents have set days and times part into the CO/PP. If you're cutting back to 70/30 the next issue you don't want is BM calling SD the entire evening on your days. SD is there to see her Dad and have family time in Dad's home, not chatter non-stop on the phone to Mom.

learningallthetime's picture

Did not read all the responses, but you can just subtly train the ex. If you are never responded to it gets boring! So, DH just needs to ignore - initially she may ramp it up as not getting the attention she is used to. My ex called and said "is something wrong? Why are you not answering". I explained, no need. I would respond when I deemed it needed a response. It took a few months, but really quietened down - expect some outlandish texts as they desperately try for a response though! Ex also tried calling and not leaving messages over and over again, hoping I would answer. I did not and told him when he complained - if it was an emergency involving son, I assumed he would leave a message!

4ever's picture

Thats good to know i'm glad it worked for you. Ignore ignore ignore is what I've told my husband but it's nto up to me. I think he's really at a point now where he's not afraid of losing his daughter and so his ex can be put in a box. I hope so i really do because i don't know how much more i can take.

4ever's picture

He doesn't complain he comes to me for advice about how to deal with her latest drama but i guess that's the same thing. I told him this morning that if he doesn't make a boundary with his ex then I will have to make a boundary with him. Ic an't do it anymore.

Indo's picture

My husband and I have experience with Our Family Wizard

BM used to call my husband's cell ALL the time and Yell at him and of course he would yell back...there was ALWAYS a he said/she said moment....it was like their disfunctional marriage never ended. I was the one who asked, "why can't you email? That way there is proof of what was said?"
BM fought tooth and nail, but DH would always let it go to voicemail when she called.
When SHE brought HIM to court for "not communicating" he had piles of documentation of him asking for everything to be written and ALL OF HER RANTS AND CURSING of voicemails to play for the judge.
DH asked the judge for a ruling of written communication and offered to pay for it.
THEN the judge agreed!
THE JUDGE ORDERED OUR FAMILY WIZARD!
DH does pay for both (it is $179 for two years for one person-DH paid a one time $358 fee for her and him for two years- thats about $0.46 a day) we think it is well worth it.
BM refused to use it at first and still called. DH did not answer, let it go to voicemail and uploaded her screaming at him to "answer the fucking phone" and made it public for all to listen on the site... she stopped... every once in a while maybe every 3-4 months she decides she doesn't want to use it and tries to call/text. DH just takes a screen shot of the multiple missed calls or her text messages and uploadsthem to the site. She stops then.

High conflict people will fight and use ANY excuse not to have their actions documented because they know how damning it will be for them.
The trick will be for your husband to stick to his guns and ONLY respond on OFW. Let ALL calls go to voicemail and document thevoicemails on OFW. And any time anything is sent outside of OFW this ddocumentation is accompanied by a message on the site, "please useOFW for all communication".

Notifications get sent to email and phones by text messages so it is JUST as immediate as texting or calling,... even in an emergency.
I.e. "SD FELL AND HURT FOOT AT BLANK HOSPITAL WILL UPDATE AFTER SEEN BY DOCTOR"

If BM is too pig headed to read the message immediately or chooses to ignore it,... THEN that's on her (as it was in this situation when she claimed she wasn't notified-NOPE- it was right there dated and time stamped) if she isn't going to read a text from OFW when comes to her phone, she wouldn't have read a text ot gotten the call from DH if he had used "HER" chosen method of communication...
So there Smile
Can you tell I love it?
BM ignores it, but it only hurts her and makes her look incompetent...

4ever's picture

Thanks for sharing all that, that woman sounds crazy! This is why i'm concerned that it's not a good option for us. My husband's ex doesn't call and rant or anything like that. She just calls all the time for little things that don't matter and then if my husband ignores her she escalates and makes it even worse. But maybe he'll just have to retrain her. I'm just worried that OFW might be too much and might totally freak her out because the website makes it clear that it's for high conflict situations and that's nto what we have. We have an ex who is maintaining an inappropriately close relationship with her ex using her daughter as a way to stay involved in his daily life. It's gross but it's not over the top crazy.

Indo's picture

Her escalating means she is high conflict. If he ask how high? when she says jump- it triggers her to make a bigger deal out of something than it should be... this breeds passivity and compliance in your husband towards his ex...
(And worse- I pointed out to my husband, "look what you are teaching your kids-Do Whatever Mommy Wants So She Doesn't Get Mad At You- is that how you want your girls to be treated by their boyfriends?-I'll Do Whatever You Want Just Keep Saying You Love Me- or do you want your son to see you act like that and end up with a wife just like Bm because you've shown him this is how relationships between a man and woman work?"

I gotta tell you-that was the kicker. And he saw the light.

I come from a home with traditional values and my mother was a stay at home mom and "submissive" in the general sense to my father, but I said, damn, my parents show each other respect and if my father EVER said "jump" to my mother I am sure there would not have been supper on the table that night.

4ever's picture

Wow, that is probably the best description i've ever read of our situation i've never thought about it quite like that before. Thank you! I'll share that with my husband it'll make him think for sure.

nunya1983's picture

Oh wow, yes that is excessive! Best way to keep communication from ex to minimum is this

1) let ex know you are going to reduce communication to only necessary contact and only to email unless it is more pertinent.

2) do not respond to any calls/texts/emails unless absolutely necessary

3) let all calls go to voice mail, if it is important, she will leave a message. If the message just says call me, text back saying, "what's up?"

4) if they try to call, do not answer, let it go to voice mail, and send a text back. if it's important, they will leave a message.

5) if they leave a message that is not clear, then ask what quotations you have in an email or text, she can answer them via text or email, If she wants to call, let her leave an answer via voice mail

4ever's picture

Great advice thanks! I think my husband try something very similiar to this early on but his ex said 'we need to work together to parent our daughter and open communication is essential' or something liek that. I'm sure it seemed reasonable to him at the time but he never intended for it to turn into daily communication.

nunya1983's picture

Also screen shot any text conversations and send the screen shot to your email that you use for communication with her. For any future problems you can refer back to them or use it in court if necessary.

4ever's picture

That's a good idea! I'll tell my husband to do that once he tells her that he's streamlining communication.

Rags's picture

What worked for us is just kicking the toxic oppositions ass until they stay under their slime covered rock and stay there.

It seems to me that 50/50 maximizes contact and communication between Xs. They have to coordinate kid crap nearly on a weekly basis if not more frequently. We had a long distance visitation situation and had nearly zero contact with the Sperm Idiot or anyone else in the Sperm Clan except when it was time to coordinate one of their visitations which occurred in the summer, winter, and spring.

DH needs to tell XW one time and one time only that he will discuss only kid stuff and only critical kid stuff. She stops calling immediately or he will take her to court to force a structured and limited communication method and schedule. When she deviates he needs to smack her back under her rock. She can only interfere and be a constantly calling annoying presence if he allows it.

4ever's picture

Its interesting that you say 50/50 maximizes communication between exes. I agree. I think the worst it ever was was when my stepdaughter moved every three days. Or every week. Whatever her flakey mom decided. It's better for her now that we're on the every other week schedule. I just hope this new change in her schedule gives her what she wants, a healthy closeness with her mom. I think I'm going to hell for the thoughts I think about that woman. I do understand that its up to my husband. I'm just glad that the past few months as hard as theyve been have convinced him to make a change.