Single Dad Chooses To Dump Kids With Babysitter For Date Nights On His Weekends, Triggers Furious Ex To Seek Shake-Up In Their Custody Agreement
Parenting is never easy, and the challenges amplify when you're doing it separately from your partner. The emotional landscape post-separation is a complex one, filled with custody agreements, creating new routines, and ensuring the well-being of the children remains paramount.
Our story today revolves around a father (OP) who is struggling to find harmony between his responsibilities and personal life. Having separated from his wife almost a year ago and being in the process of getting divorced, he has resolved to take custody of his two young kids every weekend.
Interestingly, OP started dating again. But the problem is, their busy work schedules have limited them to date nights on only weekends—the same period he's supposed to spend time with the kids.
In a bid to harmonize date nights with his parental duties, OP decided that he would hang out with the kids during the day and then get a babysitter to stay with them at night.
This plan worked out well for a while until his ex found out about the arrangement. Not only is she furious, but she is pushing to add a clause in their custody agreement that would allow her to take his own time before any babysitter is hired. In other words, she can have the kids for herself while he's away on his date nights.
OP isn't comfortable with this clause and has made it clear that he won't be signing such a custody agreement. However, we'll let the Reddit community decide if his refusal is justified or if his ex is making a valid request.
Scroll down to see the final verdict.
Let’s dig into the details
A little background
OP’s ex-girlfriend found out about the babysitter and is upset
Here’s how the Reddit community reacted to the story:
Apparently, OP’s girlfriend prefers to watch the kids rather than a babysitter. Sounds like a valid request
“YTA- be a f**king parent to these kids. Quit the woe is me bullshit.”
“If you're going to be a jerk and ditch your kids anyway, why not give them back to your ex?”
“The clause in question wouldn’t take any more time from you than you are taking.“
“Grow the f**k up and spend time with your children.“
“YTA…Because you referred to watching your kids on Saturday night as ‘house arrest’…”
“You might as well let their mother spend the time with them since they seem to burden you so much.“
“YTA for expecting to dump your kids every Saturday night, when that's the only time you see them.“
“You will regret this later. There is no woman more important than your kids.“
“YTA She's right to ask for what is a perfectly normal clause.”
There’s only one a**hole in this story, and it’s OP. The commenters slammed him for being an irresponsible father.
Everyone seemed to wonder why OP was adamant about accepting the clause, even after admitting that his kids are a burden. As one Redditor said, it would be best to just send the kids back to their mother while he’s away rather than leave them with a stranger.
We’d love to get your thoughts on this story. Join the conversation in the comments.
