Frustrated...

[babydom]

Step away! Seriously. If your parenting styles don't mesh and her parenting and it is affecting your care for him there's nothing u can do but walk away! I have been there lots of times. I try to offer help, I go above and beyond, I give pointers about bad behaviour when they ask but in the end if they aren't going to take my help or advice and keep coming to me with the same problems but refuse to change then there is nothing I can do but walk away. I take steps to back away and eventually lose contact with the family and then I feel better and I just pray for that child!

[bright sparks]

Step away! Seriously. If your parenting styles don't mesh and her parenting and it is affecting your care for him there's nothing u can do but walk away! I have been there lots of times. I try to offer help, I go above and beyond, I give pointers about bad behaviour when they ask but in the end if they aren't going to take my help or advice and keep coming to me with the same problems but refuse to change then there is nothing I can do but walk away. I take steps to back away and eventually lose contact with the family and then I feel better and I just pray for that child!

That is what I am doing. Backing off bit by bit. Fortunatly he isnt in my care regularly but it isnt as easy to cut ties 100% like it is to say to do so. When a friend calls distraught and asks if you can collect her child after I had already agreed to be an emergency contact, saying no isn't that simple. Okay it is, its just a word, but I guess I would hope that a friend would have my back in a pinch and I was there for her and him. My care for him is not altered. I have my way of doing it and she knows this and is very happy with it. So there is no conflict there, but I have to draw the line I know, you are right. She just always reaches out to me whether it is about the kids or just to go for lunch or something. I was happy when she stopped talking to me about issues with the kids and her crazy dating life, but now it seems to have blown up in her face and she has exploded into an emotional mess and seems to have realized that ignoring it and hoping it will go away doesn't work. I think her auto pilot is to pacify and keep them happy. I used to feel for her because I know as parents we sometimes do what we have to do to get through the day, but I am just exhausted from listening to the same things coming out of my mouth and her continuing to not do anything but complain over and over.