Positively moving forward

[awest1217]

I hear you both. I really do. Now for our arrangement. I have full custody and because H only has S every other weekend for two nights (if that works out because lately we have had birthday parties and other things where S spends the night one night) H gets like $4 off each week. I am getting the max amount of child support I can get. Even if H never saw S, it is still the same amount. I make more money than H so I don't get too much and the amount I will be getting actually is $500 more a year than I am right now so all is good when it comes to child support. I am not getting taken advantage of there.

Now with the time, this is only the 2nd time in 5 months that S has had a meltdown and H brought him to me. I agree he has to learn to deal with H, but when S has been crying for an hour straight there has to be a point where he gets comforted for his sake as well as H's. I understand that I dealt with it and S made it through, but if this happens once in a while I don't see a huge deal, although I do hear you that I can't make a habit out of it. S was colicy as an infant and even as a toddler I have never been able to let him "cry it out" because he won't stop. I think crying for four to five hours at a time for the first 3 months made him immune to crying and wearing down. Not that S gets his way, but I will calm him down then tell him to do what is expected and he does.

For dropping off early, I need to stop asking and just clarify when H asks to have him longer, and say to him as he leaves with S. S will be home at X time tomorrow or Sunday, and leave it as that. If H asks for earlier say I am busy and I am sorry, but I can't because H rarely gives me more time. He did twice this year (first time in two years) take off of work for S. Once to stay home with him all day, and a half a day to take him to the doctor when I couldn't get a later appointment, but otherwise it is all me whether I am tired, sick, happy, etc.

Thanks for the good advice. I will continue to work on it.

On the D front, the property agreement will be sent out today and I found out that although H has S a little more than first expected, the child support is still the same amount so that is awesome! The paralegal said that probably by next week it will be already to sign (must go to H again and back to us before it can be signed) then we can move up the trial date, or not have one at all and it will be finalized. Today I am relieved, but I am sure another day I will be upset.