My oldest would never do anything if I didn’t make him (my younger two are much more agreeable and I often thought if I only had them I would think parenting was totally different). His preference would be stat home all day every day. Isn’t it my job as a parent to make him do stuff so he gets experiences and lives a…

Kids are extremely suggestionable. I am not divorced but I really dislike my husband’s coworkers, so once when there was a work function where family was invited, I accidentally said I wasn’t looking forward to going and my 7-year-old overheard. She loves these events - loves playing with the other kids, etc.

My youngest is around the same age. If he doesn’t want to go, he’s not going!

At what point though is it important to acknowledge that the absentee parent is making an effort? If there’s joint custody and there’s no risk to the child, I don’t see how allowing the child to stay away any time they ask for any reason is healthy in the long-run.

I’m gonna put this out there and probably going to get a shit ton of flack, but I’ve been thinking about your post. I want to preface, I do not, under any circumstances, think that you or anyone else is “weaponizing” children - which I also think is awful. As an adult child of an (adult) divorce, there are things that…

Look... I appreciate where you are coming from, but kids are kids. My partner is a very loving, non-custodial parent. His kids may decide on Saturday morning that they’d rather not go to their dad’s this weekend because whatever passes their fancy. They’re children. Having a regular, consistent relationship with their…

Really scraping the barrel to come up with this snark of the day, aren’t you. How dare she not want to drink and eat while in a cinema, that loathsome Frenchwoman. You missed mentioning that she never showers, like loathsome French people are wont to.

But kids often want to stay where they are in the moment. I’m not sure if it should always be their choice. I guess it depends what you mean by absentee parent. I’ve heard the every-other-weekend parent called the absentee parent, but sometimes that arrangement creates more stability for kids than splitting up the…

This “kids know what’s best for themselves” logic is so foreign to me. I only hear it from parents whose children prefer them to their exes, and people who believe that a childhood with elements of severe, dangerous dysfunction is a universal experience. So they’re either operating as an interested party…

That assumes the child is making an actual choice and not being manipulated by one parent. In an ideal world sure. But if the parent or parents are manipulators it’s not really the child’s choice.

Do you remember in Harry Potter when Voldemort was being really super mean to the Malfoy’s and you were like, “sucks to be y’all. Prolly shouldn’t have hung out with wizard Nazis.”

These would be perfect if I allowed my sub to wear anything.

Schadenfreudish?

How are you supposed to feel when you see a bigger bully push a smaller bully around?

However you didn’t mind getting a 4 year free ride at UVA, founded by a slave owner.

I have no fucking clue what you’ve done here but I support it.

The best of takes.

If it helps, his general political position is like a Ron Paul libertarian. That doesn’t make him wrong about any of this (especially the one about what liberals thought of him before all this) but it may help you to keep some distance.

the only thing i care about in football is when the winning team lines up to gently kiss the tip of the president’s penis and receive a championship muffin

Chris...don’t you make me like you.