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' I will NOT be there for you, Son.' 




I am trying to pose a question knowing very well there is no answer to it, at least not one that would in any way calm my ANGER, yet I ask or my head will blow apart in million pieces.
How can a father not crave time with his sons?? How can he invest much effort in avoiding spending time with them?? They are not difficult or demanding children. On the contrary; they are easy to be with and a great deal of fun, with superb social skills and great sense of humor, the intelect that allows for a very satisfying conversation and scholastic and athletic achievements that would make any parent proud as a peacock!.............. True, I am not being biased.
Why is their father NOT wanting to spend time with them?! Why can he find time to go golfing, but not to answer his sons' telephone calsl?! How can he have energy to help his friend move but not to cheer his son during his games?! How can he go on without seeing his child for weeks at a time when he is only some two hundred yards away?!
There is no new family and no new woman taking him away from our sons, and this is nothing new or unusual in his behaviour; I should have had accepted and gotten used to it by now... why then I let it bother me so much... Oh, all right, I know why; he is upsetting my children and that deserves going for a throat!
I suppose I am not asking really, I am hurting for my boys so much and I am angry, because I know They deserve better! They deserve a father who cherishes them, who Is there for them, who doesn't run late for his son's HS graduation and later rushes through dinner so he could go back on a golf course! My kids deserve better and I feel guilty for not giving them a father who deserves them.
He has his own firm and great flexibility, I am paid by an hour and don't make even one eight of what he does, yet since he is not willing or available when they need assistance I have to ask my boss to let me go and tend to their needs, hence I lose pay. And I am the one that feeds those boys; I need to make that money! What is wrong with this man? 
Now! At least once I got it out... I guess the real queation is why do I feel such need to be loyal to him that even writing this down makes me uneasy? Like I broke some decency code?
Thanks for listening :)

by gemi  1064 Posts 

Posted on 4/1/2009 7:48 PM
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Tags: children , sons , father , spending time with kids ,

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Comments for "' I will NOT be there for you, Son.'"  (18) (You must be logged in to answer)




I had a friend who told me that there are some people in the world who are just nasty. They make bad spouses and bad parents. I hope you find a good one. I hope I do too. My first one and yours seem to fit under the bad category.
by bluebird   1157 Posts
Posted on 4/13/2009 11:30 AM
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Just to let you know, and give you some faith in my gender:

There are fathers who care deeply, and more importantly DEMONSTRATE it repeatedly.  There are fathers every day who have to fight just to be included in what their childrens' school sends home in their backpacks that mom keeps.  They have to fight to see their children an equal amount of time because the mother thinks it's 'traditional' for to the father to only see them 20% of the time.

There are good fathers out there, and I'm sorry it seems you didn't marry one.  You can have crappy husbands, but very good fathers.

We exist...we're out here....and we're fighting every day for equal rights.
by HurtInColorado   1139 Posts
Posted on 4/6/2009 11:44 AM
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I've said it once; I'll say it again: some fathers need to go through pregnancy and child-birth to feel and understand that connection and bond with their children. Not all fathers-just the dead-beat ones.

I'm sorry gemi. I feel for your sons. I wish they didn't have to go through that. Life can be really unfair that way sometimes.
by marybecca2   807 Posts
Posted on 4/6/2009 11:37 AM
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Gemi, I don't get it either!  He didn't want to spend much time with the kids when his lived here!  I always put it down to the fact that Mother's generally have closer ties to their kids.  My own dad didn't spend much time with  my sister and I because he was always working, but we knew he loved us!  I just figured that if we were boys, we could have done more with  him.  Then when I had boys and their dad didn't spend time with them.....again I figured it was motherly ties.
 
Since then, I've come to know many wonderful fathers....some of them right here on this site.  I don't understand how any parent would not want to spend time with their children!
by angielou   1565 Posts
Posted on 4/4/2009 3:43 PM
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I have absolutely no idea why any man would NOT want to be with his kids!  I can't even fathom it.  I always want to be with my kids.  I hate it when my son has to spend time with my wife!  I  miss him!  But I do know a couple guys who only see their kids every other weekend..... and they are fine with that!  WTF??? How can you be fine with that???  My kids are my life.  Granted, my daughter is in college so I don't see her much, but she calls me a lot.  When I hear her voice on the phone say "Hi Daddy!" my heart still melts and she's my little girl all over again.

Don't even feel guilty for writing what you wrote.  He's the one that is missing out on something that can NEVER be replaced. Never in a million years.  No golf game will ever feel as good as spending the day fishing with your son, even when you don't catch a damn thing.
by Brian60   325 Posts
Posted on 4/4/2009 3:39 PM
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Thank you. Thank you for your understanding. It provides comfort to know I am not alone in the way I feel about his lack of involvement. Some time ago I read the words that stayed with me, although I can't recall the work title or the author, but the words, though very simple made quite an impact on me: 'we are all in this together... alone...' Well, probably so, but still, with all your generosity in taking your time to offer support I don't feel so alone anymore. 

Thank you. Hugs to All.
by gemi   1064 Posts
Posted on 4/3/2009 11:52 PM
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they  do remember my wifes Ex was not invited to their sons wedding . When asked why her son said " Why should i invite the man who made me so angry and miserable to my wedding the happiest day of my life?"
 He  will get his i saw it happen. I know that her ex spent the next year apologizing and trying to make amends to him He now talks to his Dad but it will never be the same.
by wayne75   25 Posts
Posted on 4/3/2009 6:17 PM
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My stbx uses the excuse that "the boys are mad at him and don't want to spend time w/him anyway", to justify only seeing them twice a week for about 15min. each time.  He will sometimes take them to lunch on Saturday - but again he picks them up, they go eat, he brings them home.  What kind of quality time is that?  My boys are older (16, 11) , know about their dads pot addiction, and don't want any overnight visits because their dad started smoking cigarettes again and the smoke bothers the boys.  That's understandable and I won't force the boys to stay with him.  But, he should not smoke in the house when they are there, he knows it physically bothers them and I think he should consider their feelings.  We are seeking joint custody and I have to laugh because when we first talked about seperating we agreed that we would each have the kids a week at a time, so that they would have equal time w/us.  Based on this there was  not going to be any child support. Well, he moved 45 miles away (obviously that is in a different school district so week long visitation was changed to 'as his schedule permits' and he has agreed to pay me child support since they will be w/me the majority of the time.  He is really missing out on watching his children grow  and mature by not spending real quality time w/them.  I don't understand his thinking.  He says he is giving them space but what I see is distance being created.

 

I am sorry for your pain...I feel it too for my boys.

by redhead38   11 Posts
Posted on 4/2/2009 11:33 PM
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Gemi,
This is very sad. It's not uncommon though. Because you care so much for your kids, you can't begin to comprehend the reasoning for your stbx not wanting to see his kids. the kids are hurting, for sure. The best thing that you can do is to reassure them that their dad does love them. I know that will be incredibly hard to say to them. Tell them that their father has his reasons and one day they'll understand. That  doesn't excuse him from his wrong-doings. But your kids need reassurance and you are the only one that can give that to them right now. You're the bigger person. If he continues to be like this...then it's his loss. I know that doesn't help anything but ask yourself, if this is who he is and has been for some time now...what have you and your kids really lost? you really never had it. My dad was like that. I understand what your kids are going through.
2ndly, If you filed for the D. you could've asked for a temporary order of support until the final decree is settled.
by qb13   23 Posts
Posted on 4/2/2009 11:08 PM
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Just accept that he is who he is and your boys will figure it all out.  It's sad that he can't be the father they need.
by Dactyl   2607 Posts
Posted on 4/2/2009 4:43 PM
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Thank you so much my friends for trying to shine some light on this heartbreaking situation for me. It does not make it easier to accept but it certainly helps a lot to know there are people who undrstand how I feel.... still angry... *chuckles*. 
Reading all your comments and exchnaging more  thoughts on the subject outside this blog I realized I must learn to accept that I can't change how he responds to our sons but I must allow myself to feel what I feel and stop feeling guilty about it. Hence I changed the title of the blog. That is kind of my baby step in putting some responsibility where it belongs, on him... and it's not to make him a bad guy, because he isn't but rather... ah, here I go again... what excuse can I come  come up for him now... *shhheshhh*...
by gemi   1064 Posts
Posted on 4/2/2009 8:15 AM
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I completely understand my stbx canceled a weekend with our son for St Patty's partying...but when he called later the next week i let him have him for a day( which is all he wanted).  
Our son wants to see him so how do i deny that?  truth is we cant or wont our children dont deserve to miss out on the other parents time. it just sucks they can pick out when they want to, and cancel at anytime bc theres nothing i can do about it till the divorce is final.
And the money situation i relate too... he doesnt have to pay child support until its finalized in the divorce so refuses to help out until then when he makes 3 times as much as i do!

lol...your way better person than me bc i slam my stbx whenever i get the chance(and dont feel bad about it..he asks for it)

Your a wonderful person and mother.
by hanna   57 Posts
Posted on 4/2/2009 3:40 AM
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hey honey, i know striker is right. my kids; father always put things ahead of them. mostly trying to cause me pain and hardship. it didn't take them long to figure it out and both of them have written him out of their lives. and it is his loss because they are wonderful young adults. but you can't make their relationship work. just let your boys know you will never leave them and everything else will work itself out in time. the money situation is grossly unfair. i know what it is to fear not being able to provide for your children. all i can say is when you love you will find away. lots of prayers headed your way.
by ann101   870 Posts
Posted on 4/1/2009 11:23 PM
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He may see himself as a failure for not being the father he should have been, and the boys may be a reminder, the ultimate symbol of that failure.  Maybe he just can't face that.  I'm guessing, of course.

Or it could be fear.  He could be afraid of the way that they may view him.  Or he could be afraid of the responsibility of being a dad.  Some guys just can't handle that.

Just speculation.  You are clearly a terrific mom, and he probably can't measure up to you.  That can be pretty intimidating.

Then again, maybe he's just a jerk.  But you'd know that better than I would.

Hugs, Gemi.
by 2much42long   3031 Posts
Posted on 4/1/2009 11:16 PM
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You don't want to make him look bad or be that bad guy.  I get it.

But he is.  Your question about why he doesn't spend time with his boys is the question of the year, as I know from my own situation all too well.

Simply put, they are selfish.  Single minded.  It's all about them now Gemi.

I want to take every parent who doesn't give a shit about their kids and smack them upside the head.  Our kids didn't ask for this.

There, now you've seen me want to be violent....lol.

You're a great mom, your kids are thrilled to have you I'm sure.
by Kitty7470   2621 Posts
Posted on 4/1/2009 9:18 PM
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This was hard to read because I have asked myself the same questions.  So hard to comprehend.  If we did get the answer from them would it even make sense?  All I can tell you is I absolutely understand how you feel. 

Your sons have a great Mom!  Keep doing what you are doing for them...it is working!
by 123   1906 Posts
Posted on 4/1/2009 8:50 PM
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Because maybe you are still tied to him through your boys. So you still feel the need to be loyal. It's  still too new and raw to totally cut him out of your life and it will be a long time before you can even try to do that.

My ex is like that. He hasn't called our daughter in ages. She's more like him than me. Perhaps that's why ex hasn't called her. He thinks everyone is like him and they can walk away as easily as he does and not care.

Some men weren't meant to be fathers; just sperm donors. You're a good mother and your boys know on some level that their father has never truly been there for them. I know it still hurts because you want their father in their lives.

You may just have to learn to accept that he is never going to be the father you want him to be. I've learned the hard way not too care about  things that will never change. It will eat you up inside.
by trisha9054   4967 Posts
Posted on 4/1/2009 8:26 PM
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I understand your anger....It souns like you have Sons to be very proud of. This is his loss. The day WILL come when they are older, and he wants to spend time with them, they will remember...........

All you can do gemi is just be there for them, as I know yo are...I wish there was something I could say that would make a difference, but there is not...

Bigg Hugggzzz for you sweetie!

Terri
by __STRIKER__   1399 Posts
Posted on 4/1/2009 8:22 PM
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