In the entire time I’ve known him, DH has always had SSs on his birthday week. This year, we planned to travel to see my family and we were going to take them with us. When DH contacted BM about two months ago to tell her this, she said “they can’t go, I’ve already signed them up for camp and my sister is in town.” DH did not make a big stink about it, even though their parenting plan stipulates that the kids are with him on his birthday, so she should have consulted him at the very least for plans on that day. Instead, he rolls with the punches like he always does.

Last week, he texts both boys and says to them, “all I want is for you to both call me on my birthday and wish me a happy birthday.” He even tells them what day his birthday is in the text. They text back hours later and say, “ok dad”. We saw them right before we left and I programmed DH’s birthday into both of their phones, so they would get a notification.

This week - DH’s Birthday comes and goes and not a peep from either child. They are now in middle school and in my mind, old enough to remember their father’s birthday. In the nearly five years I have known them, they have done nothing for Father’s Day, Christmas, or DH’s Birthday. It’s hard not to resent them for this. I know that being a child of divorce is difficult and that BM tries to erase DH from their lives, but c’mon, your dad asked you to call him, so call him...or at least send a text! These are the same kids whose phones are glued to their hands when they’re at our house and who call BM at least twice while they are with us on visitation weekends.