Do I have the right to talk to the kids over phone

[Underdog]

SP--This will be really quick as I'm leaving shortly to take my D20 to the airport to head back to school.

Yes, all the folks I mentioned were mired in bitterness. I totally get your point about minimizing transition. I have a special needs kid who doesn't do very well with transition. I just don't know any families personally that weren't bitter in the week on/week off schedule.

I also agree that there is compartmentalization when kids are shuffled to two households. But I think it's our role as parents to make sure that it's minimized as much as possible. Even if it's painful for us.

Since you mentioned being guilty of not answering their mom's calls when you have them, I'm detecting some bitterness here. Is that possibly true? Why wouldn't you guys agree to let them be contacted by each other to minimalize this type of compartmentalization? There's no harm in talking to a parent when the desire is there from either side.

In the beginning, it wasn't easy for me either. But my #1 goal through all of this was to work on becoming better, not bitter. At first, he would still stick to "the rules" and not give me an inch. I decided to give him feet even when he didn't expect me to do it. Gradually, I think he realized that the girls thought he was being a jerk. It didn't take long for us to communicate more clearly and parent together much better.

Barely Floating definitely made valid points. Peace's kids are too little; in addition, they are still legally married and the courts aren't there to ensure that both parents have parenting time. There needs to be some defining document that states what is happening and what the parent rights are. He's making arbitrary decisions that I think seem harmful to everyone involved. I don't want to mind read here, but from what I read, I'll eat my shorts if he isn't manipulating the people around him by this kind of alienation.

And BTW, I do agree that consistency and not bad mouthing the other parent is paramount to a good parenting R. Absolutely.

Okay, Peace, since we hijacked your thread... and the title of this thread is the relevant issue here: your right to talk to your children/their right to talk to you. What have you done to change this situation?

Betsey