Blended Families

Daughter getting upset about visits!

My daughter's father is not the best, and he never really took her for visitation, he would come to our house.  I had posted before about how things have been because since he left rehab, he has been taking her on Wednesdays.  There have been many questionable visits in the four months it has been happening.  I really don't want to go back to court because I've gone through it before and it is hard to prove!  He can fake pass a drug test, and he also uses synthetic drugs usually instead of the real thing.  Also, when he dropped her off at school smelling like alcohol, the school didn't report it.  I feel like it will be difficult to prove that he is an alcoholic, and I really don't want to encourage him to take any more visitation time then he already does.  He does not pay child support.  All of this is done in the hopes that he will just leave us alone.

My problem that I have been having is that my 5 year old daughter doesn't want to go with him.  They spend time together on Wednesdays and every Tuesday she starts to ask/beg me to not make her go and to please tell him she doesn't want to see him anymore.  I always tell her to talk to him about it, and I also let her know that she can call me at any time to come home.  She constantly asks my fiance to please be her real daddy.  She told me last night "I wish that daddy was never your boyfriend so I wouldn't have to see him anymore."  I asked her if she would be sad if she never saw her dad again and she said that she liked it when he would just come over and visit her and that she doesn't want to be alone with him or at his house.

I don't know what to do. I get really sad when she says this stuff, then I get really mad.  I feel like I need to talk to him about it, but at the same time, I doubt it will do any good.  I never say anything bad about her father, and I do not let her know that I get worried when she is gone. Every time she comes home, I just give her hugs and kisses and we usually go play or have a snack.  At this point, I think she is just mad she has to go with him.  I feel like I just need to stay calm because at some point, she will be old enough that her opinion will hopefully matter to him, or he will quit coming to see her just like he has all of the other times.  I feel like she is just disliking him more and more because she does not want to be with him.  I am trying so hard to separate my own feelings but he literally is doing nothing but wreaking havoc on everyone!  He pays no child support but makes TONS of money.  I always get promises of money coming but it doesn't.  I don't mind the no money thing, but he does nothing else to help! He picks her up late and is late to take her places.  I had to pull her out of gymnastics for the summer because he was late constantly and she was missing the majority of the class. He uses my car seat because he LOSES his constantly or doesn't have one at the moment.  He doesn't feed her a normal dinner, and he drops her off late every time so she comes home hungry and tired. 

I am hoping that someone else has gone through this or is going through it so I don't feel so alone.

Re: Daughter getting upset about visits!

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  • That made me feel a lot better.  His income was so low that it was the $50 a month, and since by that point he had already stopped taking her for visits, I just let it go at 0.  I guess I just need to throw on my big girl pants and stop getting walked all over!

  • Sorry if I sounded harsh.  I know you want to do what is right and not alienate DD from her dad (even if he isn't a great dad).  But.....if you take a tougher stance with ex, the problem may solve itself a bit, because he might see her less and less once he has to make an effort (to be on time, to return her on time).
    image "Before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self esteem, first make sure you are not, in fact, just surrounded by assholes.
  • Your words were exactly what I needed!  Thank you truly!

  • I have to second @wahoo. Stand up for yourself!!! And your daughter! I literally reiterate everything wahoo said, and also advise to document everything. Every visitation, times he picks her up/drops her off, what happens, what DD says, what he says. Everything. I mean seriously, you're doing a disservice to your daughter by letting him walk all over you.

    Good luck.

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  • Do either of you think that I should go back and get child support through CSEA, or should I wait and use that if things get ugly between us?
  • There's 2 schools of thought: 1) You absolutely should get child support. Even if her father doesn't want to have a real parent-child relationship with his daughter, he's still responsible for providing for her. And if a court finds a parent a unfit in some way and doesn't allow even supervised visitation, you can still get child support. One has nothing to do with the other. And your child is supposed to benefit from both parents incomes, regardless if just yours is enough.

    2) It's a hassle and if you don't need it, don't let him hang it over your head.

    Ultimately it's your choice.

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  • Personally, my biggest concern at this time is what is going on at ex's home that upsets your child so much?  Is she left alone, is she around substance abuse, is she unsafe?  That would be my first priority.

    I'm a little confused because didn't you say there is no court-ordered support (ie they ordered it to be zero)?  If that is the case, wouldn't you need to go back to court before you went through CSEA.  

    Also, how is your ex making money with "zero income?"  Is he a drug dealer?  Working cash jobs / under the table?  If you have proof of income, I would see what kind of documentation you can get proving that he is making a salary and report him to anyone he can get in hot water with!

    You say you know you could take him back to court - then DO!  Get a bulldog of a lawyer, talk to the school where he dropped her off, and have your lawyer get them to sign a statement saying that your ex dropped her off and they suspected alcohol.  Get your lawyer to be the tough guy and tell them if they won't sign a statement, you will report them for failing to report the DWI.  Find the rehab that he checked himself out of after 9 days.  

    My main fight would be to get supervised visitation, or reduced visitation.  

    I would go after the money, not because you need it or DD deserves it, but because it is something that you can hold over his head.  I have known of more than one person who has gotten their (deadbeat, not visiting, not caring) ex to sign over parental adoption papers in lieu of child support / CS arrears.  You would have a lot better chance of getting the money if you could garnish his wages (not sure if that is possible).  However, even if you never get a cent, the arrears builds up.  If he wins the lottery, if he gets an insurance settlement, if he gets an income tax refund...it will go to you.  
     


    image "Before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self esteem, first make sure you are not, in fact, just surrounded by assholes.
  • I had to schedule an appointment with a professional...I asked her why she didn't like going and she said "daddy says gross things and he stuck his finger up my butt."  Then, five minutes later she said "I was just kidding mommy, I thought about it and I was just kidding when I said that."  So now I am completely freaking out even more, I am due to give birth any minute, and I just want to crawl under a blanket and hide!  Luckily my friend is a social worker and she gave me the number to a retired sex crimes investigator so that we can try to see if my little girl really was just kidding or was telling the truth.
  • Oh my goodness that's is terrible. I hope really that there is no truth to that. For the life of me I can't see why a child or how a child could make that up. Good luck
  • Good gosh! That's a pretty intense "joke".for a five year old! Good luck and I hope your daughter isn't being subjected to anything like that...hopefully the sex crimes investigator can help more to put your mind at ease.
  • Wow, I just, I wouldn't know where to begin to handle this. I hope the sex crimes investigator can get to the bottom of this. Keep us posted, I'll be thinking of ya.

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  • My advice is to believe her 100% until you know for sure that it didn't happen. If it were me, I seriously would just call the police. I would also take her to a therapist who is trained in this. There is play therapy that can help small children express what is happening. I would also refuse all visitation until you figure this out. That is a very serious accusation from a small child & her not wanting to go with him would make me very concerned that that was not a joke at all. I can understand that you feel overwhelmed but your first job is to protect her at all costs.
  • A 5-yr old would not have the capacity to come up with a sick joke like that unless it has happened to her or she has seen it as third party. Either way, that is abuse. I would absolutely deal with this right away. Report it, get her into counseling and no more unsupervised visits for him until this gets resolved. Red flags all over this post.
  • I have been thinking about this. And if for some reason you do not want to go to the police (which I really think you should), you could also take her to your pediatrician assuming you have a good one. I would take her today. Right away. This is an emergency situation until you know for sure it is not. I am so, so sorry this is happening. Hang in there, mama. You can do this. You can help her. Let her know that your shoulders are wide & you can handle anything so she can feel free to say what has happened no matter what.
  • hopanka said:
    A 5-yr old would not have the capacity to come up with a sick joke like that unless it has happened to her or she has seen it as third party. Either way, that is abuse. I would absolutely deal with this right away. Report it, get her into counseling and no more unsupervised visits for him until this gets resolved. Red flags all over this post.

    tcam2012 said:
    I have been thinking about this. And if for some reason you do not want to go to the police (which I really think you should), you could also take her to your pediatrician assuming you have a good one. I would take her today. Right away. This is an emergency situation until you know for sure it is not. I am so, so sorry this is happening. Hang in there, mama. You can do this. You can help her. Let her know that your shoulders are wide & you can handle anything so she can feel free to say what has happened no matter what.
    Both of these. A 5YO doesn't just make that up as a joke. Don't even bother with the investigator. Take her to the pediatrician TODAY. Don't even think of letting her go with him until this is settled. Something happened or she saw something that she shouldn't have. Do something about this RIGHT NOW.
    BabyFetus Ticker


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  • Thank you guys!  I just saw this now, I will call first thing tomorrow to get her in.  It is nice to have some support, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
  • Lurker. Call the cops immediately. Her pediatrician won't know what to look for, she needs a special exam from a specially trained nurse or MD. The police will have a whole sex crimes team that has special protocols in place. She needs a forensic interview and a forensic medical exam.
    I deal with this stuff professionally and the best way to handle it is to call the cops and get their sex crimes/child crimes unit on this ASAP.
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  • So I finally had a chance to talk to DH about this. He works for a children's advocacy center and he absolutely agreed with caladpi02. Please follow her advice. Also there is most likely a children's advocacy center that serves your area if you are in the U.S. They should be able to support your family through this process and help you find the resources your daughter needs.
  • @tcam2012 and @caladpi02 I spoke with the children's advocacy center near me, and the nurse told me to wait until September 2nd which is their next available time!  I asked her if I should just call the police then, and she said that I could, but it wouldn't really help because the police will just refer me to their office!  I really don't know what to do...the last couple of days I have felt kind of numb and like nothing is really happening, but today when everyone I spoke with seemed to think it was a non-urgent issue it really made me upset and worried about what is going to happen.
  • September 2?! Wth?! DH is asleep. I'll ask him if he has any advice in the morning. Hopefully caladpi02 will be able to give you some advice. Hang in there! You are taking action & she is being heard. That is so important!
  • I agree with other PP's and I am so sorry for your situation! I just wanted to add that they can test for synthetic drugs. Those tests can be more expensive but if he wants to see DD, they can do it and he will have to pay for it. Just FFT.

    Good Luck with everything and I hope you get answers and peace soon!

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  • So DH's first reaction was that the center is overwhelmed. His advice was to contact the police to make a formal report. This way everything is formally documented as you wait for the appointment. Thinking just from a parent perspective, you could call the center every day just to check if there are cancellations. Also, get a copy of the police report. I would refuse visitation and tell him that your DD has said something concerning and that it has been reported. I would not go into details or engage him (this is assuming my rational side is in control at the time) and just say that it has been reported and you are sure he will be contacted. If he tries to say that he is going to report you for withholding visitation, who cares. You will have the police report in hand. I would also think about meeting with the principal, counselor & teacher ahead of the first day. Not to have them intervene & question her or anything. Just so they are aware & can document if she says anything additional and also to let them know he should not have access to your DD or be allowed to pick her up from school.
  • tcam2012 said:
    So DH's first reaction was that the center is overwhelmed. His advice was to contact the police to make a formal report. This way everything is formally documented as you wait for the appointment. Thinking just from a parent perspective, you could call the center every day just to check if there are cancellations. Also, get a copy of the police report. I would refuse visitation and tell him that your DD has said something concerning and that it has been reported. I would not go into details or engage him (this is assuming my rational side is in control at the time) and just say that it has been reported and you are sure he will be contacted. If he tries to say that he is going to report you for withholding visitation, who cares. You will have the police report in hand. I would also think about meeting with the principal, counselor & teacher ahead of the first day. Not to have them intervene & question her or anything. Just so they are aware & can document if she says anything additional and also to let them know he should not have access to your DD or be allowed to pick her up from school.

    Hi. Sorry it took me so long to respond. I am usually mobile. I would contact the police and make sure they send out a detective and not just a patrol officer and one that works with sex crimes/kids. They usually have a basic background and are often trained in forensic interviews. If it is considered a serious situation they will make room for an interview. If not, you may just have to wait it out-getting a proper interviewer is crucial.

    I would let the police/detectives handle all the follow up. The last thing you need is for the allegation to be true and then have your actions twisted into "mom makes fake claims against dad, look at all the stuff she did-calling school etc."  Sex crimes/crimes v. kids detectives are trained in all this stuff and the more you stay out of it the better. Have contact information so they know who to speak to. Call the cops, say you have a 5 YO and the nature of the allegations against dad and you want a detective to respond and document. They can take the whole process from there.

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  • Lurker, but I truly hope you were able to get the attention from authorities that you need.  I see there hasn't been an update to this in quite a few days.
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  • We have to wait until Sept 12th for the interview with detectives.  Our social worker told us that in these cases it's very common for nothing to happen.  Then we just have to go to DR court to try and get visitation suspended or at least supervised :( I am hoping and praying for the best for my baby.
  • September 12 seems so far away but it will get here fast. Does this mean the Sept 2 appointment was rescheduled? Hang in there! Keep advocating for her! Your family is in my prayers.
  • Yes, we had to reschedule it unfortunately.  Thank you for the prayers.  I am so sad and stressed, but I have realized that this could end up protecting her for so many years to come.  There has to be a reason for this and hopefully a good outcome.
  • Just saw the newer developments here. Want to offer some solidarity because we have been there. My SD and her siblings were molested by their BM, and it took years of fighting and being told nothing could be done, "a mother would never do that", their stories are "too graphic"to be true, it won't doanygood to report to xyz because they willrefer you to xyz, we'll interview her in six months....

    It took years of fighting just too finally get visitation supervised by BM's parents and finally get it through their heads that we would never let it rest if they were not on SD's side.

    We do finally have done peace, but unfortunately, SD does still have to visit them EOWend. My H does have full custody, though.

    My two pieces of advice are to NEVER doubt your child. Leave it up to them to prove their innocence in this case. And never let anyone tell you there is nothing you can do or tgat you have to wait. Do what you have to do to keep her case front and center, don't let her fall through the cracks. That may mean making multiple reports, reporting to different agencies when one tells you you have to wait or they can't do anything yet or at all or family/friends making reports, making sure doctors and teachers are doing their job. Don't be afraid to be THAT parent that totally annoys and seems over the top to everyone else.

    Good luck. Let us know how things go.

    Also, if you haven't done so, press for an emergency temporary order of protection and emergency custody until this is resolved. These are usually granted very quickly as long as there is court business to follow.
  • She told them what happened at the appointment.  Now I am just waiting and waiting.  I haven't heard anything from the detectives yet, so we will see.  It is nervewracking!
  • ambrvan, do the kids want to see their BM?  So far, I have not heard from him about wanting to see her or wanting visitation.  I am so worried about the process for after this investigation is over...do we go back to court and try to get the visitation rights taken away?  I feel like that has been my biggest worry...I just want to keep her safe and feeling safe.
  • ambrvanambrvan member
    edited September 2014
    DD now that Imtrmama has seen it. Hope it helped.
  • Thank you very much. I really do appreciate this help!  It is really difficult to find answers in situations like this.  I am so happy that everything has settled down for you.
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