I have alluded to, but not directly posted about, something that will likely cause a major shift in my situation soon.
I've been pressing for resolution on timeshare with our kids through mediation. Currently I do a 4-10 (Friday pm through Tuesday am, every other weekend). My W eventually offered a 3rd weekend per month, but she wants me to only have the girls (not my son, the oldest). Then revisit in the fall, next spring, etc., with the help of counselors, custody evaluators, etc. I am not hung up on 50-50, but I want a roughly equal timeshare including weeknights. I want to be involved with my kids' school lives, their activities, that day-to-day grind of everyday life. Weekend dad is not going to cut it for me.
My stance is we should agree on a permanent plan now, and can always adjust later if circumstances change. I know that I will never get to anything resembling equal timeshare in the future if not agreed upon now. She claims she is open to 50-50 in the future, but I know she will never grant me that. I am not gullible. Whether she knows she is being manipulative, or deluding herself that her mindset may change, it doesn't matter.
A few months ago, after starting mediation, my W sent me several disturbing texts. It was the same narrative, but more heightened than usual. I felt then and there I had to put some things in motion legally to protect myself. Those things are about to come to light. I have been working through mediation, and direct communication with my W, to try to reach a solution through reasonable means, so we could avoid the ugly route. It hasn't worked.
I'm not happy that things are coming to this. It's great to have legal protections. Unfortunately, when it comes to fighting for your kids through the legal system, things can and will get ugly. What a shame. I don't care about the MR, but I do care about the pointlessness of this bickering. I'm going to be paying for lawyers' kids to go to college. My W can't let go of her abuse narrative and it's leading us to MAD.
