Oh, gather ’round, my dear scandal lovers, for I’ve stumbled upon a Reddit saga that’s as juicy as a ripe summer peach and as twisted as a pretzel. This isn’t just any story – it’s a real recount from a real person entangled in a modern parenting conundrum. So, buckle up and let me, your guide Roger, lead you through the maze of child rearing, ex-partner battles, and the unexpected costs that make adulting a wild ride.
Imagine a scene: two exes, a child, and a summer camp so exclusive it whispers its price only to those who dare to commit. Our protagonist and his ex make a decent duo, splitting costs without the tedium of child support – he covers the sitter; she, the extracurriculars. Simple, right? Oh, but fate had a riotous laugh up her sleeve.
The cost of Camp Elitist-For-Kids exceeds any rational expectation, prompting our dear dad to agree to square up the difference between sitter fees and camp costs. A deal struck in goodwill, but the universe, my friends, cares naught for human plans.
Enter stage left: an office party, an intoxicated mother, and a conscientious sitter in distress. That’s right, the mother of the child, in a moment of less-than-stellar judgement, somehow transformed their home into an impromptu winery tour. Poor form, indeed.
Our noble dad, a knight in business attire, scrambles from afar, orchestrating an overnight save involving extra cash and a lot of logistics. Bravo, sir, bravo! The parental rescue mission was praiseworthy, but oh, it was the aftermath that turned this drama into a comedy (or tragedy, depending on where your sympathies lie).
The ex, hangover and all, had the audacity (yes, I said it) to demand reimbursement for summer camp as originally promised. Our hero, armed with the shield of logic and the sword of ‘I-just-paid-for-an-overnight-sitter-because-of-your-winery-adventures’, decided that the camp fund had been diverted for cause noble and just. His response? A figurative ‘kick rocks’, leaving the ex in a state of financial and moral befuddlement.
Now, hold your gasps and clutches your pearls, for here comes Roger’s Hot Take: When parenting and adult responsibilities intertwine, your children’s wellbeing trumps all. Yes, agreements are important, but adapting to crises? Even more so. Our dad didn’t just save the day; he taught a master class in crisis management, child prioritization, and financial wizardry.
Was he right to divert the funds? In the grand scheme, absolutely. Parenting isn’t just about sticking to the plan; it’s about dancing in the rain when the plan gets washed away. So here’s to all the parents navigating the storms and doing their best to keep their little ships afloat. And to the ex? Maybe next time, opt for a glass half full scenario, rather than the whole bottle.
Until next time, stay scandalous, stay curious, and remember – in the opera of life, sometimes you sing soprano, sometimes you’re the one passed out in the chorus.
Original story
Our 8yo son is going to his first sleepaway camp next month. Since my ex and I make the same income, we do not give or get child support but rather pay for different expenses. For example, I pay for his sitter and she pays for his extracurricular activities like camp.
Sleepaway camp was so expensive that they don’t even list the cost online. Basically his camp and sports cost more than his sitter so I agreed reimburse her whatever the difference is between that and childcare. So far it’s $150 and I said I’d give it to her today when we see each other at our son’s swim lesson.
I was on my way home after a short business trip. Obviously my son was at his mom’s. I got a call from the sitter. He said my son’s mom came home and was wasted. She was passed out on the couch. Our sitter said he didn’t feel okay leaving our son with her. Our son hadn’t had dinner and Friday is bath night where I scrub him clean.
I said obviously I can’t do anything as I’m about to fly back home and asked if he could stay and watch my son. He said he couldn’t. His place is a bit of a commute. Then I asked if he would be open to taking my son back to his place, getting him, getting him fed, giving him a bath and putting him to bed. I’ll personally pick my son up and take him to my house. I have him for these two weeks anyways.
Our sitter said he could do that but asked about getting paid. I said I’ll pay you for whatever hours you worked. He said if I paid him in cash instead of a check then he’ll do the overnight thing for an extra $150 cash. I agreed.
I got back to town at 3am and picked my son up at 4am. I texted my ex about sitter. I saw her at our son’s swim meet and she admitted to drinking too much at her office party and apologized to our sitter.
She asked me for the $150 for the summer camp reimbursement. I said I applied it to pay the sitter for taking Ryan overnight since you couldn’t do it yourself. She said that wasn’t fair and we’re not squared. I said actually we are. We both paid the same amounts for childcare and camp. That was the agreement. She said that I promised to reimburse her and it was my decision to have the sitter take Ryan overnight and it’s my responsibility to his sitter. I told her to kick rocks