Co parenting with an abusive ex

[Emily1980]

Hi my lovely ex husband has gone away for 6 days and left our 16 yr old with $100 for food. He left Thursday afternoon and is coming back Tuesday night. My daughter only found out as she rang her dad Thursday afternoon asking him if he could pick her up from work as it’s raining and he said no I’m away with my gf. Omg please give me strength it makes my blood boil. To make things worse he says to her oh btw we are going away in 6 weeks together to Vietnam for 2 weeks. He is suppose to be taking care of her instead is galavanting around with this gf. Advice pls

[Courtney-RO]

Hi @Emily1980 and welcome to our online community!

I want to start off by saying well done for reaching out, it takes a lot of courage and bravery and I think that's certainly worth acknowledging. I am so sorry to hear about everything that's going on for you right now, I can only imagine how hard it must be for you to hear that your daughter is at home alone.

I can hear just how much you care about your daughter and how worried you are about her well-being. Do you mind me asking how your daughter is currently and what kind of supports she has around her right now? I am also wondering if there is a way that you might be able to create a plan for his next venture in 6 weeks. Is it possible for her to come and stay with you while he's away? I also encourage you to communicate with child protection if you continue to have protective concerns.

As this is such an awful situation for anyone to be in, I just want to ask if you have any supports for yourself in place right now? Is there anyone that you feel comfortable talking to about this? If you would like to talk to someone, it might be worth reaching out to a support service like the Family Relationships Advice Line or Parents Beyond Breakup.

I just want to remind you that you're not alone and we're all here for you.