
I apologise in advance as I feel this may get a little long.I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask these questions, but I don't have a lot of friends/family that I can ask that won't be biased about the issue. Also I live in Australia, not sure if that changes things.I have a two year old with my ex partner(referred to as EX from now on) and we have been separated since December 2015. I have taken full responsibility for our son since the breakup except for EX paying $100 weekly for child support. So I have been supporting myself and our son and having 100% care except for weekly visits that EX has with our son. I have encouraged these visits a lot and have tried to help their relationship any way I can.EX and I recently went to mediation to work on a parenting plan since EX is very unreliable and inconsistent(I keep a record and have calculated that 84% of all visits organised, EX is either late, leaves early, or doesn't show up). He basically called me a slut, mediation was ended early, and he was asked to leave.So about a month and a half ago EX lost his stable full time job because he showed up late numerous times after "taking sleeping pills to go to sleep at night so as to not smoke weed to get to sleep and ended up sleeping through alarm". Or so goes the story he gave me.Since then he has paid $50 weekly and wants to discuss paying less, "since child support would only require me to pay less anyway." He also expects me to supply all clothes, nappies/wipes, toys, portable cot and sheets etc. because he said he is too financially strapped to supply any of it. I also drive our son to visits they have because EX has neither a car or drivers license. EX has contributed fuel money once.So I just don't know if I am being unreasonable asking him to be prepared and supply things for our son on their visits and also pay more than $50 a week in child support. Should I not be asking for child support at all? Am I asking for too much? I mean I'm lucky I get anything, right? This isn't a life or death situation, but I am being made to feel like I am being completely unreasonable and that I am a horrible person, so I guess I'm just after some advice.I am doing a good job to raise our child, I pay for everything besides what child support contributes to. I discipline and provide a structured and happy environment. Our son is doing very well developmentally, but EX always implies I do not do enough to help him. EX gets very upset when I ask him to supply anything or try to explain how much I have to pay for, and acts as though those things are my responsibility.Thank you for taking the time to read this big explanation and if you have any advice it would help me to figure out what to do in this situation. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2ug8fOM
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