BD and 6 months later PA confirmed (2)

[Bunches]

S used to show positive signs when we used facetime, but since she got her own apartment out from her mothers she hasn't afforded wifi and can't use it. I normally have to give him the phone locked so he won't just hang it up, he kisses the phone because he is supposed to and then puts it down and grabs a toy. I have to continuously stop him from playing with things and get him to pay attention to the phone. He has strong visual fixations and I'm not sure he even recognizes that his Mom is on the phone or that its not just another app. He plays with apps on his IPad a lot.

He doesn't display negative behaviour when he doesn't get to see her. He is a very happy kid most days. She does pick him up for her every other weekend Friday night through Sunday evening and also comes over to take him out after work 1 weekday each week. She could see him more, she is within 30 minutes of where we live now. Some mixed reasons why she doesn't now. She has a job with some pretty strange hours. Schedule varies anywhere from 6am - 11pm and even some weekend days. She isn't retail but got a great supervisor job at a production facility where you stay when you need to. Also S has to be up before 6 during weekdays to get ready for the bus that comes a long way to get him. Between their schedules she only has about 1.5 hours on the nights she does come out. I was pretty controlling at one point about how often she could come out. I don't think its good for him to be honest. She didn't feel like it was healthy that we all spend time together so she just takes him out to McDonalds most times. I don't think its fair to have S spend multiple weeknights at fast food places each week.

I expect this talk to come up very soon again about her demanding more time. I can understand wanting to spend more time with him, but I think the circumstances need to be fair to him. I also feel bad for him because he is often upset when she leaves him. Most of her visitation weekends I pick him up and he cries the whole way home. I don't know if he just misses his mom that much or if he is just having such a good time that he doesn't want to go home. I feel like it has to be so easy for her to give him a great weekend when she gets him. She only has to manage 2 days every other week.

Wow, that was a longer post than I expected to make. Sorry for that.