dear abby: My ex-boyfriend has primary custody of our young daughter “Kayli” and we are together 99% of the time. I'm with Kayli every other weekend. Her mother sent her with a bag full of wrapped presents. These presents are marked by day and time. My ex-husband created multiple alarms on her daughter's phone along with presents to let her know it was time to open the presents.
I asked her to stop this. Because it's a huge distraction and disruption that prevents me from spending time with Kayli. There have been several times when her daughter and I were eating dinner when the alarm clock went off and we got up, left the table, and opened a present from her mother. She may also delay leaving her house if she knows it's almost time to open her presents.
Sometimes I turn off the alarm and silence Kayli's phone. Because if you don't remember the alarm, she won't care about the gift. But what happens at the same time is that her mother texts or calls her daughter to see if she opened her presents. She refused to give up this habit and replied that she would continue because it made her daughter comfortable.
Kayli has been visiting my home for 10 months now. This habit just started 3 months ago when my ex and I finally agreed to a custody agreement.Besides turning off the alarm and silencing Kayli's phone, is there anything I can do to limit Kayli's mother's interference while we're together? — East Mess
Dear Confused: There are many things you can do. Contact a lawyer to stop her intentional sabotage. Your ex-husband is trying to prevent you from having a close relationship with her daughter, which is not healthy for you or Keili.
Dear Abby was written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or PO Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
