Co-parenting can get messy, particularly when the parents can’t agree on the basics or refuse to communicate with each other. Often, the children suffer the most because they’re caught in the middle of warring parents and conflicting rules.

One woman who is a grandmother to a 6-week-old baby is at her wits’ end because the baby’s mother, her son’s ex-girlfriend, insists on the father only visiting his child at her place. The grandmother thinks that’s unreasonable and has turned to the web to complain.  

More info: Mumsnet

Co-parenting is far from plain sailing, as this woman’s son is finding out the hard way

Image credits: prostooleh / Freepik (not the actual photo)

He’s only seen his newborn son four times in six weeks because his ex insists he only visits him at her place

Image credits: lucigerma / Freepik (not the actual photo)

The new dad’s mom is now stuck playing go-between because the parents refuse to speak to each other

Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)

The grandma feels her son isn’t getting enough time to bond with his son and thinks he should be entitled to a few hours every weekend without the mom around

Image credits: LolaJ82

When she turned to the internet to ask if the request was unreasonable, netizens slammed her for trying to keep a 6-week-old away from its mother

Family drama has erupted after a young father’s ex-girlfriend has refused to let him see their newborn son outside of her home. At just 19, the dad tries to bond with his baby, but the mother insists all visits happen under her watch. Frustrated by the lack of compromise, OP stepped in, acting as the reluctant middleman in the messy situation.

OP tells the community she’s now stuck playing referee between two young parents who refuse to communicate. She suspects that her son’s financial standing played a major role in the relationship, as he has a well-paying job and provided generously. Despite this, his ex is keeping a tight grip on baby time.

Right now, OP’s son has only seen his child four times in six weeks. He dreams of having 50/50 custody in the future, but for now, he just wants a few hours with his kid at his own home on weekends. OP thinks this is reasonable because her son needs to learn how to parent without the pressure of being hovered over by his ex.

She turned to the internet to ask whether or not she was being unreasonable in wanting the baby to visit their home without his mom in the picture. Netizens had plenty to say, mostly how ridiculous it was to want to separate a 6-week-old baby from its mother for hours on end.  

Co-parenting can be tricky even at the best of times, but when the parents disagree, it can get even messier. So, what are the most common co-parenting issues, and what’s the best way to deal with them? We went looking for answers.

Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)

In his article for Psychology Today, Norman B. Epstein (Ph.D.) writes that one common source of difficulty in co-parenting arises when one or both partners are unhappy with their respective parenting roles. According to Epstein, parenting roles include attending to their children’s emotional needs, teaching them social skills, developing emotion regulation and impulse control, and managing misbehavior.

According to research, supportive co-parenting involves communicating respect for each other’s approach and making efforts to work as a team, while undermining co-parenting sees parents criticizing, belittling, and interrupting each other’s parenting behavior. 

The Divorce Project website says communication forms the bedrock of successful co-parenting. One effective strategy is establishing regular communication channels that both parents commit to using consistently. This may include weekly planning sessions, phone calls, or digital communication like texting and emails.

Another key technique is adopting emotion-neutral language. Separations often leave behind emotional residues that can cloud discussions. By deliberately choosing words that focus on shared goals and facts rather than on emotional tones, parents can dissolve tension and focus on what matters most: the present and future.

Unless OP gets out of the way and lets her son and his ex work out their differences, it seems baby time is going to be at the ex’s house for the foreseeable future. Her weekend plan certainly isn’t going to cut it until the baby’s a bit older.

What would you do if you were in the OP’s shoes? Do you think her request is way out of line, or should the mother allow it? Let us know your opinion in the comments!

In the comments, the majority of readers lambasted the grandma, with many saying the newborn was far too young for that much time away from its mother

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