I recently wrote about how terrific successful co-parenting could be, but I wanted to bring a little light to many times it totally SUCKS:
When you're a controlling parent.
When he's a controlling parent.
When the father wants to be the mother.
When my son was still young and I couldn't tuck him in at night half the week.
When my son was still young and I didn't know every meal or nap he was taking.
When I'm folding a polo shirt I don't recognize - and I realize it's a size bigger than the one I've been buying for him.
When the ex lets my son stay up later at his house and my son mistakingly thinks that's the new default.
When his father convinces him to wear boxers even though I think boxer briefs are cooler (and sexier eventually).
When his father took him to Chinatown to get a bad haircut.
When the ex decided it was time to get a cell phone before I thought he needed one.
When his father decided to let him play aggressive violent video games and I didn't.
When my ex tells me not to take him somewhere because he's going to take him there, only he never does.
When he keeps a pet he's allergic to and when the pet dies, he gets a replacement pet he's equally allergic to.
When he keeps getting pets to compensate for no vacations and no girlfriend (hamsters, snake, fish, bird, dog).
When he gets sick at his house and his father doesn't take care of him the same way I would - and he's my baby!!!
When his father allows a cough (or a mysteriously swollen face) to linger because even though he was there for three days, it conveniently gets worse at my house.
When his father doesn't care about vanity so he lets a rash take over our son's arms, legs, and face.
When his father acts like our son's best friend and not his father.
When father moves them into their grandparent's house and never unpacks his room.
When it's the Thanksgiving my son is not with me.
When it's his birthday and even though I birth to him, I don't get to have him all day.
When even after 12 years of separation, his judgements on my parenting still feel like a dig in my side.
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