Stating his case to me that he is a good Dad and knows that D5 needs structure and he can give her that. I don't buy it. He's never been a 50% Dad in the past.. Why should he get to now?
LO, I know how you feel. My X also expected 50% custody after barely being a parent for most of their lives. He was involved in the things he wanted to be, like coaching, but never took care of their needs. In the last few months that he lived in the house but was deeply involved with the OW, he didn't come home til long after they were in bed, and when I said something to him about it he told me they needed to get used to not seeing him. Then he expected a 50/50 split. I guess his OW (now wife) even told someone she and her boyfriend were going to have to get a bigger house because they were going to have 6 kids living there.
We ended up having a guardian ad litem (attorney for the kids) involved and she talked with both of us then came to my home to see the kids in their natural environment. She came over and D17, D9 and S8 were all jumping on the trampoline and having a good time. She saw that they were doing well in their home as it was. X tried to fight for more time with the kids, but I resisted, and I was supported by the guardian ad litem. He still has decent time with them, and from what I hear, the kids spend most of that time playing video games and taking care of themselves. I have never tried to interfere in the relationship he has with the kids, it is up to him. All I wanted was stability for the kids, and since i had been the primary parent for years, that seemed logical to me.
"You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf." Jon Kabat-Zinn
