Ongoing...

[PacLove]

RG - boundaries are important here, I had a similar sich back in Oct, where W wanted to keep D at family home but I insisted she stay with her... 3 months later I'm moving on - had a few dates and now she's reconsidering her choices and wanting to R again.

Like you I thought I was done, ready to move on and she'd have to come back begging - but your mind plays tricks on you. The moment she opened the door to R, I had a totally different mindset.

First and foremost I don't advocate dating, I regret it. Giving the illusion you are dating is fine (changed my profile pic etc) but the actual act, while fun, hurts everyone involved. There's a reason they say don't date until D is final.

Coming back to your child, maintain the boundaries but in a polite and considerate matter. Explain simply to your W that we need to have a balanced lifestyle based on the agreed custody arrangement, and while we can maybe trade off nights if necessary and with enough notice - we shouldn't be doing it to cater to his needs. Not only is that showing weakness to our S, it also is showing to S that he can get what he wants by just putting a fit.

You both need to be there for S3 and he will have emotional ups and downs and these are things you will need to learn to get through as single parents.