Starting Over

[KenF]

"D will always have her R with her dad, and that can affect her"

it in your daughters best interest that you do everything in your power to foster a great relationship between him and her.

and this is work. you'll need to constantly put your fears, and pain, and regret, and revenge aside.

and this includes making him feel guilty because you dont agree with his parenting. Dont make yourself the little voice in his head that prevents him from being comfortable around her.

and i say this from direct experience.

i'm raising my daughter my way, which is the only way i know how. i let her steer the car in parking lots, i let her stand up with my jeep top down, i let her stay up late and eat junk food, but i also teach her how to read and spell and math and good eating and importance of exercise, how to be polite, respect for elders, be nice to your friends, etc etc.

the toughest part of my relationship with her is the x's voice in my head. dont be that.

and i understand your desire to have your child on a schedule. thats great.

but, 7? i've never seen a child who would go to sleep by 7. and trying to get her in bed that early is the cause of all the problems you have putting her to bed. at 2, if i ran my daughter ragged during the day, 8 oclock is early. unless she didnt nap at all.

now at 5 3/4 (she'd insist i add the 3/4 part) she's in bed by 9, consistently, thats just her time, her body clock determines it. if i tried to get her in bed by 8, she'd toss and turn till 10.

but thats your choice, and the fights comes with that choice.