My Ex Can't Seem to Find the Time to Spend with Our Daughter

Some men are creeps like that, and you just have to tell the kid that Daddy made another choice.

My X called our son the week before his 4th bday to wish him HB and let him know he couldn't come to be with him, he couldn't afford it (from Hong Kong to DC). In the same phone call, he said he was flying to Vietnam next week to pick up his girlfriend, then flying them to New Zealand (his home country) to get married. DS4 picked that up, hung up, cried to me and asked how daddy could afford to get married in NZ but not come for his bday. I was stumped, but decided to say that everyone makes choices. Sometimes they're wrong, sometimes they're right; sometimes someone thinks that they're wrong--it's a matter of outlook. So we did extra-special stuff for his bday that we wouldn't have done if X had been here.

DS is 13 now, and X STILL finds reasons not to visit, though he's in Vancouver, Canada, now. Still a jerk, still flying the world, but can't visit his own son on the other side of the continent. He was here for two weeks in November last year, doing PhD work at a local university, staying in uni housing. He saw DS12 for about five hours, stalling until he heard from Ohio friends whether they could visit them in Ohio. By the time he heard NO, then he wanted to get together with DS, but by then he had only a few hours until he had to back at the uni. And the uni wouldn't allow overnight visitors, so staying with X was out of the question. He did manage to rent a car and see DS's stage combat performance, but not after complaining to DS about how expensive it was to rent a car in DC.

Some people are a waste of good organs and air. Try, try, try not to let it bug you. Vent to friends like crazy. Tell DS that daddy made other plans. She will draw her own conclusions. DS13 now thinks his dad's a greedy, self-centered man. No points for guessing the two top reasons I left him! ;-)

Good luck.

Hi S.,

I'm sorry to hear about what you and your daugther are going through. My advice to you would be to write the letter. Get all of that nasty and mean stuff down on paper to purge yourself. Once you have finished, come back in a few hours or a day or two and write another letter. By writing the first one , you ge to express yourself without editing how you feel. Don't mail it just get it all out. This exercise will probably help you calm down enough to write the second letter tactfully but still with honesty.

It sounds like he is really enjoying not being a "parent". Your daugther is not there everyday to cramp his style anymore and he is enjoying his new found freedom. I honestly don;t know when he will turn around or even if he wants to. Just try to be the best mother that you can be and don't push yourself to make an over the top effort if he is not willing to reciprocate.

Best Wishes
D.

S.---

I could have written that myself. My oldest (who is now 13) barely has a relationship with her Dad and he only lives 5 mins away. When we first split up (she was 2)he would take her for a night here and there...he wouldn't even have her 24 hours before he would bring her home. I used to ask what his holiday plans were, since we were supposed to rotate holidays, and he always had something to do so I finally stopped asking. I thought many times over the years that I should "force" him to take her for the weekend (we didn't set up any formal visitation as far as every other weekend or that kind of thing.....didn't think it was necessary) but then I decided that if he wasn't interested in bonding with his own child I wasn't going to send my child to visit with someone who obviously didn't want her there so....

So here we are almost 12 years later....she rarely sees him, he occassionally calls. It is sad and pisses me off but he will be the one who misses out in the end. I am now remarried to a wonderful man who has been in my daughter's life since she can remember, since she was 5, and she loves him dearly and vice versa. He treats her NO different than he treats our daughter together.

My exMIL is so angry with her own son that he doesn't spend time with his child that his whole family has talked to him about it with no effects so it will come back to bite him later.

So my advice is to just calmly tell him how you feel and to tell him to think about the future and what will happen when he doesn't even "know" his own child. Maybe THAT will give him a jolt.

Good luck!! It is hard but it does get better.

Dearest S. ~

Write the letter, but not with anger. Anger is the emotion that stems from other emotions. You feel HURT and WORRY - hurt for your daughter's feelings and worry about her relationship with her father and how that might affect her. Also try to point out to your ex that he is missing out on his daughter's growing up and you worry about him regreting that someday. Perhaps he already feels some guilt, but just hasn't been able to motivate himself to do anything about it. Hopefully he will take your letter as the sincere attempt to help not only your daughter, but him as well. Then you must live with what is. He will either turn around or not. We just simply can't control everything or everyone in our life. But regardless of what he does, always try to portray him in a positive light to your daughter (even if you have to fudge the truth a bit sometimes). Children NEED to feel loved and cared about by both parents. It affects their self esteem if they have a negative image of their parent, as they always internalize it as something being wrong with THEMSELVES. Eventually she will see the truth for what it is and will be older and more able to cope with it. But it is your job to PROTECT her from these negative feelings so early in life.

I wish you the very best. I know that one of the hardest things for a mother is the fear that her child is being hurt - physically OR emotionally. Do the best you can and do try to make sure she has good, positive and loving male role models in her life. ~ K.

hi S.,
i'm so sorry about your situation. your ex is not realizing how much he's depriving himself let alone kerah.
i applaud you for understanding how your own very natural anger will get in the way of making him truly get your point of view. writing is often a far better venue for having this sort of conversation, especially on such an emotionally charged subject, as you can take time to think and word things exactly as you want without grief and fury taking over.
first of all sit down and write a completely uncensored letter. tell him everything you think, baldly and with no holds barred. let him have it.
don't send that one. keep it, or ritually burn it, or whatever. but WRITE it. do it for you.
once you've got that out of your system, write a more measured one. don't worry the first time through making it perfect, but do try to present your thoughts in a way that you think might penetrate his wall of self-involvement without antagonizing him. then give it to a friend (one who isn't so close that she'll be furious on your behalf and want you to flay him) and have her edit it. do this several times until it's striking just the right note.
THEN send it.
the very slowness and the fact that it takes lots of steps for you to acknowledge and honor your true feelings AND to sift through your thoughts and logically, rationally present them will be very therapeutic for you. and beyond the good it will do you, the fact that you're not simply lashing out at him (much as he deserves it) will mean that there's a really good chance that he will read it with an open mind and comprehend what you're saying. this has a better shot of achieving your true goal....getting him to spend more time with kerah willingly and joyfully.....than punishing him for being an @$$.
good luck!
khairete
S.

Hi S.,
My suggestion is to sit down and write out everything you would LIKE to say to your ex, pour everything into that letter, then throw it away. It will clear out all the anger, frustrations and resentment you have against him and relieve alot of the stress you are feeling right about now. Then when all that is out of your system, sit down again and write your concerns, your worries, and your questions to him in calm reasonable questions. If you find yourself starting to go back to the "mean hurtful" things then stop.........take a breath.....leave it for a while and go back to it. Only a suggestion and hope things work out for you

Hello S.:)
I am sorry I do not have any ideas. My own father left our family when I was young and even before that he did not care to spend time with us. By the time I was 18 he started showing interest in hanging out with me and my sister,since he was getting old.I had my own life by then and told him when I have time.I know it hurt him, but I did not care. That summer he got killed...that was the end. He waisted his life on useless stuff and his kids did not even know him.
If I were you I would not bother to write to your ex.He is not worth it. A father that does not have his child as a priority(and he clearly does not) simply is not worth it. Your little girl deserves more.What a poor excuse to not see your child.....gas prices. Whatever. He should be begging you to come and see her, take her to the zoo, take her for the weekend.See how long he can go without seeing her if you do not initiate the contact. Let him put time in those stupid cars and see if they'll love him back in 5-10 years.Maybe he can teach "them " say "Daddy I love you". That type of parents deserve a good punch maybe it will get their priorities straight.
Sorry I am sure you can tell I feel strong about it, I wish you the best.

Your ex is a self-centered jerk. Nothing you say to him will change that. Look elsewhere for a father figure...your family, your church/synagogue, parents of Kerah's classmates.

If you haven't already done so, you need to get an order for child support. He can choose to be absent emotionally but he must not be let off providing for Kerah financially. You say you want a friendly divorce, and you should still be civil but you must protect your daughter's interests.

S., I too am S. a 27 year old with a lovely daughter who I feel that sometimes her father doesn't spend enough time with. I have come to realize that some things are better left unsaid. And your daughter may be better off with just having you as the stable person in her life. It took me awhile to realize that things wouldn't be the ideal way I pictured, but once I came to terms with it, my daughter seems wonderful because she knows I am always there. I have also asked her dad to set a schedule instead of just "dropping" in...Sadly, he was only able to commit to two Wednesdays a month. However, I know that a schedule is much better for my daughter. I didn't even argue when he told me that was all he could do because all I want from him is consistency.

I wish you the best of luck...Just realize that YOU are your daughters foundation, not your ex. Don't bring more drama into your life than is necessary. Just accept that this is the way he is and find a way to make it work for your daughter.

S.

Well you cant force someone to be a father if they dont want to. You can write him a letter and say whatever you feel you need to in it, but it might not change his mind. If he doesnt want to be there for her, then maybe you are better off without him and so is your daughter.
Have you filed for divorce or child support yet? Maybe things will change when all that is settled, maybe hes enjoying some "free time" he feels he needs to take.
If I were you, Id file for the divorce and for the child support asap (at least the support) and forget about him coming to visit your daughter. If he arranges a visit, thats great- but dont force him to or bully him into coming up. Id just leave it completely alone and see what he does. Id also document everything. I understand things arent in a rocky position and the seperation wasnt a dirty one, but if he wants visitation, then he should technically file for it in court. He could technicall "Keep" her from you and without court orders, he has every right to do that. You never know when someone may snap and turn a peaceful seperation into something not so fun!
Maybe if he could make time to call everyday or every other day, she at least wouldnt forget who he is and in his own time, he'll realize that he has to either step up or step out.
Good luck :)

S.
you can't force someone to do the right thing. he's mature enough to know what he needs to do. it is not up to you to try foster his relationship with his daughter. what you need to do is get your divorce straightened out, child support and such since you're going to school and being a single mom. that's what i would do. putting stuff in letter won't do anyone any good. good luck

(Funny, Oprah had a show about divorcing parents and the affect on the children yesterday...)

Suz T hit the nail on the head! There’s just a couple things I’d like to add.

You might want to get professional advice on what to tell your daughter, kids are not stupid, even if he’s not going other places and truly is having trouble money-wise getting to see her, she will still resent him for not seeing her. I’m assuming he doesn’t call her either?

No matter what you do or say, or how diplomatically you say it, he’s not likely to change. I’m friends with another mother whose ex wants nothing to do with the child. I’ve seen how she acts out. Might be partly the father’s fault. He doesn’t see her at all, and doesn’t treat his other kids from a previous relationship well either. It may be time to focus on your girl and her emotional needs.

Write the nasty letter – on PAPER – and don’t send it. That could come back to bite you legally! Then (I’m putting my vote in) write as unemotional a letter as you can. I doubt it will do any good, actually! But you’ll be able to say you tried. Pretend you’re a social worker or a counselor or something with nothing personal to do with it and write it from that angle with all the facts. Write it, sit on it for a week, then re-write it. Mybe have a lawyer look over it before you send it.

Suggest that you should have sole custody citing the times he could have seen her and didn’t, especially if he turns out to be a dead-beat dad. Take what evidence you have of him being able to go to car shows and such to court, maybe that will wake him up, if not, just be as good a mother as you know how, let her know YOU love her and will be there for her.

Good luck, and again, I really urge you to see you your daughter’s emotional needs!

-S. K

Hi S.
I understand how hurt and disapointed you feel about your ex-husband's behavior. The fact that you lived without a father figure until 13 makes you even more sensitive to the issue.

If I may suggest to you that when you wrie this letter to your ex, express to him how you felt and the effects it had on you to grow without your dad, the hurt feelings you had then and how it has made you the person you are today.

Use this time to heal yourself too in a way to say why it s important to you for your daughter in hopes that she will not grow up with the same feelings you had.

Ask him what his dreams and desires are for his daughter down the road. What does he sees in the future for her and with her.

One thing you will not be able to do is to make him do something he doesn't feel is important to him. No matter how much you do or say, if in his heart he sees no real importance for him, he may not do it which is really sad.

I've written a short story about a little 5 year old girl on Father's Day. I invite you to have him read it. It's a little's girl's thoughts about her dad who doesn't feel like spending time with her. http://coachingsteps.blogspot.com/2008/06/why-is-it-that-...

I hope this will have been helpful to you and good luck.

C. C.
Life Coach

In all honesty, you can't. I am sure that you have told him this before, and probably many times. Anything you say now will most likely sound like nagging. You cannot control what he does, he has to make the effort to see his daughter. I know that's not the answer you want, but if you are trying to make him change without his cooperation, you will not be successful. Just focus on your daughter, and keep asking him if he wants to see her.

Hi S.,

Do you want to reconcile?

Does your husband drink?

Your child is now suffering the consequences of the losses that both you and your husband experienced growing up.

Now, how do you make things better now?

Get involved in a support group for moms.

Take some parenting classes.

Join a Civic Group like Kiwanis where there are older men who can spend some time with your child. Even though one of these men may not be her father, she can still have a loving relationship that can replace the one of her real father.

www.kidspriorityone.org ###-###-####

www.chkd.org/classes

www.al-anon.alateen.org

Kiwanis International

Hope this helps. Good luck. D.

Write your letter but don't give it to him. However after you are done with that letter write him another one saying how you feel and how he's spending time and money to see other people but not his little girl. Tell him how selfish and immature he is being and how he needs to grow up if he wants to act like a little teenager then with this divorce goes in to court and everything ask for the MAX a judge will give you, sole custody (court supervised visits for him), full childsupport and alimony. But sit down and explain all of this in the other letter you would write after you write out the nasty one you want to write.

This bothers me because my husband's ex moved 2.5 hours south. We had to give up Friday night visits for a while, because by the time he got there it would be past her bedtime. But he still went down every other weekend to see her-in snow storms, crazy traffic, there were nights where he sat in beltway traffic for hours. He had to rearrange his work schedule. we chose our house and our vehicles based on this. We did it because she's a wonderful little girl, and it was important to both of us. We never even considered skipping visits.

I've heard people say that you find the time and money for the things that are really important to you. I don't know if I always agree with that, but when it comes to a parent and child, I do. I think you have every right to be upset.

But I also know that you can't change him. The things you want for your daughter are great. But you can't make your ex-husband (or even if you were still together) give them to her. Maybe he doesn't know how to be a father, maybe it's harder for him because she's so young. The reasons don't matter as much as the reality you're facing. As a very wise friend told me, "Sometimes a parent can't be what you want them to be." True of exes and our own parents too! You have the opportunity to find another strong male figure (uncle, relative, family friend, coach, teacher, the father of one of her friends) and make sure they fill that need. Also, she may not react the same way you did. Everyone handles a distant parent differently.

I would still encourage the father to visit, call, or spend time in other ways (webcam on sale?). But you can't make him. You can help your daughter not get her hopes up too high (like presents on birthdays). As she gets older she'll see his choices.

Rather than a letter, I would call him (wait until you're calm). Instead of accusing, ask questions. Tell him you've been thinking about the separation/divorce and you'd like to know how he sees his role with his daughter. How often does he think he'll be able to see her? Does he want more contact or less? Try to stay calm if he explains that he doesn't want to see her very often. As hard as it is to swallow, he can be any kind of father he wants to be. Try to listen for what he wants and is willing to do to get there. It sounds like you're trying to schedule time in advance and that's good. If you plan now for the winter holidays, that gives him a chance to save up for a visit, if he wants to. If it really is a money thing and you're able to be flexible, try to see if you can both come up with a new solution - meet at hotel half way? You drive up, he drives back?

Let us know how it goes.

In my own experience, I've seen what absentee fathers can do (emotionally) to their daughters! My own daughter's biological father was NEVER in her life, and although she had questions about him, she was never hurt by the fact that he wasn't around. She has always had positive male influences (her grandfather, uncle and stepdad) and has been very loved. That's what is important!
On the flip side, my neice and a good friend's daughter had fathers that popped in and out of their lives and were constant disappointments to them. From what I've seen, that was much more destructive to their little psyches!! One occasion that sticks in my mind is the night my good-for-nothing brother in law never showed up to take my neice to the Father/Daughter dance and my husband stepped in as a substitute. I will NEVER forget that sweet little girl all dressed up and the heartbreaking look on her face when she realized "daddy" wasn't coming!
So, the moral of my story is...work out a visitation schedule NOW before your daughter is much older and explain to your ex the importance of trying to stick to it. If he's not willing to commit to your daughter, then maybe you need to think about cutting him out of the picture (at least until she's old enough to understand and deal with the disappointment better)?? And whatever you do, don't EVER badmouth your ex in front of your daughter. That will only make her resent you!
Write your letter, and then write it over again...a few times. Then set it aside and re-read it after a good night's sleep. That way, you can edit out the emotion and get down to the business of working out a plan for caring for your daughter.
And consult an attorney! Even if your ex doesn't want to help in the actual day to day care of his child, he still needs to support her (and maybe even you!) financially!!!
Good luck with everything. I really hope all works out for the best!