My DH is a Disneyland Dad

[Anonymous 2]

I've never known of a teen who refused to do visitation for anything except bad parenting. Don't blame the system for teens choosing to remove themselves from bad situations.

I'm not. But haven't you read some of the stories here? Not much to do at dad's because he lives in an apartment, or friends live where mom lives, or mom's rules are looser than dad's and the kid prefers that. Or whatever the reason. Those aren't bad situations. They're just teens being teens. People have suggested when that happens dad just let visitation go and make sure to attend all of the kid's extra curriculars and maybe take them to dinner or something like that.

I can remember stories here about teens being used as free labor or childcare without being treated like a family member. There's been stories about teens being left alone most the time while their parents are occupied doing something else during visitation. There's the parents who treat their teens like toddlers or are super controlling. There's also the asshole parents who don't allow their teens to participate in extracurricular or normal social teen social life during their time.


If parents want a healthy relationship with their children, they have to put work into it.Those parents who don't put effort into have no right to complain if their teens no longer want a relationship.

Ok, but we're not talking about the same situations. I told you the types of situations I was talking about, and it's not them.

[Anonymous 1]

When kids are teens and decide they don't want to go/are too busy to go, and we have the attitude displayed so often here that they are "old enough to decide," and if the courts support that which seems more and more common, yeah the system does set things up for this. Again, I'm not saying it's an excuse, and sounds like he played into it. I'm just saying the system lends itself to things turning out this way.

You're in a tough spot with your child. I'm not sure I'd stay but I understand why you do.

I've never known of a teen who refused to do visitation for anything except bad parenting. Don't blame the system for teens choosing to remove themselves from bad situations.

This dad is clearly a shitty dad and OP is a loser for staying with him.
But when I was a teen I refused to go to my dads house because I didnt want to be far away from my friends and then when I was older my boyfriend. I regret it now because I missed out on a lot of time and memories with him. He was a great dad but I was a selfish


Honestly I'd rather be a loser in the eyes of internet strangers than be homeless with a toddler to take care of but that's just me. I'd take being a loser everyday.

[YoYiggy]

Sounds shitty for everyone involved.