weekends

[mom2three]

As our child goes to preschool in my area from Tuesday to Friday, my ex who lives 30+ minutes away she keeps the child from Friday to Monday so 4 nights with me and 3 nights with her. There is no way she can pick up or drop off the child to school.

But since I work M-F I can't spend any weekends with the child. Maybe she would let me 1 Saturday every 2 month but not having the child on weekends sux.

Or should I be happy for being the child's primary parent in her early education and spending quality time after work?

You answered your own question with the smiley guy! Enjoy the time you do have with her. Don't pout about the weekends. Turn it around and think of the positive aspects of your position: you have weekends to yourself to get the household back in order without a child under your feet, you have proper time to rest, you have uninterrupted time to make plans for the upcoming week.............catch my drift?

In my own experience, I am full time Mom except for long weekends and school breaks. I had absolutely no issue with him having the children through all holidays (except every second Xmas; after Xmas day on those years they go to Dad's & 2 weeks for me in the summer). So many people have asked me how I handle not having the children for holidays like Easter etc. To me, they are just days, particularly in light of the commercialism in today's society - why not have an Easter celebration again a couple of days before or after the "regular" day. We make it what it is and work with the confines of a decision to no longer live together. I also must remember that my children DESERVE to have as much time with their Dad as possible. Not time for pouting for me!

Remember: turn it around. It's amazing how nicely life flows when you can find the positive aspects in what we "think" is an intolerable situation.

[anotherSTEPmother]

The only thing I would maybe ask is to be able to take your child out on some occasions, like perhaps to a parade or event that only occurs on the weekend. If you and your ex have a decent relationship this should be something that you can work out together,

Also, maybe you should have summers as a 1 week rotation so you can at least take turns enjoying weekends and weekdays then?

[anotherSTEPmother]

BUT if you keep this up when your child begins kindergarten 5 days per week then will be with you...