First off, can everyone please stop telling me to save text messages? I’m not stupid—I know to keep a record of them.
All four of my kids are safe and with me. Amanda is still staying at her parents’ house. My older two kids recently shared some troubling feelings with me, which took a lot of effort to uncover. They’ve been feeling uneasy, like if they make even the smallest mistake, they’d be sent back to their mom’s house or left without a home. They’ve been walking on eggshells, trying to be perfect, and it’s exhausting them. They told me they don’t understand why Amanda has changed so much because she used to be kind and loving toward them. I reassured them it wasn’t their fault.
My son admitted he’s worried Amanda might turn the younger kids against them. Both of my older kids are feeling so uncomfortable that my daughter even offered to move back to her mom’s house if it meant her younger brother, Liam, could stay. That broke my heart. Liam, on the other hand, said he’d move in with my parents “if they’d have them,” which hurt even more. I assured them they weren’t going anywhere and made it clear my marriage was not their responsibility to fix.
Meanwhile, Amanda has been texting me non-stop. I’ve only responded when it concerns Eliza and Becca. She’s been incredibly cruel, attacking me, my older kids, and our relationship. She even accused my older kids of wanting to break us up, like they did with their mom’s second marriage, and claimed I was letting them “win.” She called them spoiled, entitled, and manipulative, saying they’d ruin my life if I kept giving in to them.
Amidst the insults, she sent me a list of her “non-negotiables” for moving back in. Most of it was downright unreasonable, though one point—installing cameras in common areas—I’d already planned to implement. Here’s the rest of her list:
- Cutting Sage and Liam out of my will because they’ll inherit money from their mom. (This is absurd, especially considering I’m not planning on leaving much to anyone anyway.)
- Selling our house and buying a new one. She knows I’m committed to staying in this house until my kids go to college since it’s their childhood home, and now it’s our younger daughters’ home too.
- Forcing my kids to leave at 18. She suggested they move out in the middle of their senior year, which I find appalling.
- Excluding my older kids from family events. This includes vacations, dinners, and even family photos.
- Banning our younger daughters from being around Sage or Liam.
- Gaining veto power over any extra time or money I spend on Sage and Liam. She wanted to “make sure things stay fair.”
- Taking half of their mom’s child support and putting it into a retirement account solely in her name.
I couldn’t take it seriously, so I just reacted with the “haha” reaction to her text. That didn’t go over well, and she’s since sent more inflammatory messages.
Today, when Amanda’s dad dropped off and picked up the younger girls from church, we talked briefly. He seemed annoyed with her and referred to this situation as “Amanda’s little tantrum.” Originally, the girls were supposed to go back to her parents’ house, but they refused, so they’re staying with me for now. Thankfully, I’m off work this week to be with them.
Sage and Liam have been avoiding their younger sisters, which is heartbreaking, but I’m trying to navigate the situation and explain things as best I can. I’ve also arranged for therapy for all the kids. It’s out of pocket, but I couldn’t wait any longer.
Amanda FaceTimed the younger girls earlier today, but I didn’t engage. She’s made it clear she doesn’t believe therapy is necessary, which I’ve told her is non-negotiable if she wants to fix this.
I don’t know how salvageable this situation is, but I’m doing what I have to do for my kids. I’ll share updates if things take a significant turn, but right now, I’m focusing on my family.