I'm looking for advice and support from other divorced parents who have navigated difficult co-parenting situations while balancing work, school, and raising young children.
I'm working toward finishing my RN program, and my goal is to provide a stable future for my kids while continuing to be present in their lives. I have 24 weeks left in my program, and only three of those weeks would be an issue.
My mom has been helping with childcare on the days I have school, which is typically Monday and Wednesday. Unfortunately, she's starting radiation treatments around the week before or the week of Thanksgiving, and her treatment schedule will affect her availability for approximately six weeks.
The good news is that I only need a temporary solution for about three to four weeks before my semester ends on December 9. I'm trying to figure out the best way to bridge that gap without creating unnecessary conflict.
My ex's work schedule and mine aren't set in stone, so there may be some flexibility in how we arrange things. I already have Thanksgiving Thursday off, which helps a little. I'm considering using paid leave, asking my ex for a temporary custody adjustment, or combining the two.
My biggest concern is the co-parenting side of this situation.
My ex doesn't know that my mom has been watching the kids while I'm in school. On the other hand, when my ex has to work overtime, her mom helps with childcare, so both of us rely on family support at times.
I'm nervous about bringing up my school schedule and childcare arrangements because I worry that my ex could react negatively or use the information to create conflict around custody. I don't want to assume the worst, but our relationship has made me anxious about how she might respond. I'm concerned she might threaten to withhold the children or make things more difficult if I disclose my school schedule.
I recently had a situation where my ex would have benefited financially by nearly $6,000 next year, but she rejected the proposal. I didn't go into as much detail as I did the previous year, but I've shared four of the six separation and custody agreements we've worked on, explaining the proposal, and I made another offer recently. My ex and I are still separated. We've been through court mediation and have created and shared six agreements between us, but none have been signed.
She has an attorney, and part of me hopes that having legal counsel will encourage her to approach things reasonably. However, I'm unsure whether I should explain my school schedule and childcare arrangements or simply keep the conversation focused on the immediate, temporary childcare issue.
My ex knows my mom has cancer, but she doesn't know that I'm in school or that my mom has been watching the children while I'm in class. The only reason I suspect my ex's mom may also be watching the children is that my oldest mentioned it to me one day. I don't have a problem with family helping with childcare. However, I'd prefer not to have my ex's family watch the children because I feel it could overcomplicate things with the children going back and forth between households.
Under our current custody schedule, the children would have to transition between households multiple times during the week. For example, in one week, they stay with my ex Sunday night, I pick them up Monday, drop them off Tuesday, pick them up Wednesday, and drop them off again Wednesday. I then pick them up Saturday and drop them off Sunday. The following week involves another series of exchanges on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
I'm concerned that adding childcare arrangements on top of all these transitions could make things more complicated for the children. A simple, temporary adjustment to our current schedule for three to four weeks might provide more stability for everyone while I finish the semester and my mom undergoes treatment.
I'd really appreciate advice from parents who have been in similar situations:
- Would you be transparent with your ex about your school schedule and childcare arrangements, or keep the conversation focused on the temporary adjustment?
- How would you approach a temporary custody adjustment without opening the door to unnecessary conflict?
- If you were worried your ex might withhold the children or use information against you, how would you protect yourself while still communicating in good faith?
I appreciate any honest advice from parents who have navigated similar situations. Thank you!