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I am a great ex wife!!!

SUNFLOWERGRL's picture

Really I am. Let me first explain. Whatever happened between me and my husband was exactly that. Between me and my husband. So of course I have moved on and i am building a life and extending my family with my fiance. Well, ex hubby did everything in his power to make the last 2 years of my life miserable. I mean, he bashed in the windows of our home, with ALL 4 kids watching, he turned off all the utilities, emptied the bank account, took my car and took the family business. All he left me with were our children. Well, now after 2 years of him wanting to have sex with me behind my fiances back and trying to send dirty pictures to me, he finally found someone to occupy his time. Well, I guess he thought that i was going to get jealous of his new girlfriend. Nope. I actually introduced myself and shook her hand. Yes! You read right. Why should i be mad at her? She isnt the cause of us breaking up. As long as she takes care of my kids and be decent with them that is all i can ask for. I dont bug my ex for money(unless he is late on his child support) Ireally can careless what he does or who he does it with. The only thing that bugs me is that he doesnt see the kids. Maybe 3-4 every other month and he is trying to get the child support lowered. Other than that, i dont deal with him. Maybe its because I have moved on.

sarahbernheart's picture

that did not ask for more than my fair share and DO NOT call my ex and his wife and make crazy demands ..blah blah
but I can bet you a nickel he would not say I was a good EX!!!!
ha!

“You will never be on top of the world
if you try to carry it on your shoulders.”

SUNFLOWERGRL's picture

Of course he would never admit that i was a great ex wife. He is still in the bitter part of his life and the fact that he is constantly trying to throw things in my face, like his $$ and his many girlfriends. I dont buy into it. He has no idea how good he does have it. I mean I read about all these ex wives and what they do to the "new" woman and there ex husbands and its just disgusting and immature. I am neither of those things so why should I act like it. No man would agree that he had a great ex wife while living with his parents. He honestly doesnt believe that he did anything wrong. He honestly doesnt believe that the law includes him. He is one of those hard headed people that thinks what they say is the way its going to be. And when the courts told him different then he gets all bent out of shape. So no, he would not say that i am a great ex wife. But he never knew that i was a great wife to him to begin with either. Besides no man would confess that he had a good thing and screwed it up. That wouldnt be the "manly" thing to do in his family. No one ever takes responsibility for their actions. In his family, a woman is to shut up and listen to the husband. Well, not me.

"Just because you can give birth, doesn't mean you should"

Colorado Girl's picture

because "great ex-wife" is almost an oxymoron.

I'm sure my skids BM thinks she's a great ex-wife and can justify every single thing she's ever done. It's just a matter of opinion I guess.

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...It's about learning to dance in the rain."

SUNFLOWERGRL's picture

But the difference with me, I can careless about my ex and what he does. I dont medel in his life nor do i care where he is at. I dont constantly call him. Actually i dont call him at all. How more perfect can he have it. Compared to all the ex wives we have read about on here. I just wonder if there are other ex wives on here that are actually "sane" and not just believing it in their own mind.

"Just because you can give birth, doesn't mean you should"

Colorado Girl's picture

and you only call him when his child support is late. Would you feel differently about your greatness if your ex filed for 50/50 placement and a lower cs payment?

I really don't want to start an argument here, I just thought your statement was very bold and self righteous. I think it's great that you are not jealous and immature because of a new girlfriend. But would you feel different if that new girlfriend had different values than you and imposed them on your children?

I'm a pretty decent ex-wife myself. But that's because my ex has placed the bulk of the responsibility on my shoulders and we both like it that way. I am the custodial parent and make all major decisions except for medical. I'm a control freak and he doesn't want the responsibility. I also have a good paying job making his support payments minimal. Everyone is happy. DH and him also get along very well and respect each other and their roles. He has also decided that he doesn't want a relationship until the kids are older so I don't have to deal with another woman parenting my child and all the insecurity/jealousy that comes with it. BUT I also know that if you altered any one of these factors....we might have a problem.

I guess I just think that before we walk around announcing how great we are, we put ourselves in BMs shoes and maybe try to understand the root of their unruly behavior. I think there are some BMs that are just worthless (Cruella and Anne's comes to mind) but sometimes we as SMs are just as guilty of being a part of the problem between BMs and DHs.

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...It's about learning to dance in the rain."

sweetthing's picture

times where I push my husband to fight back when he would normally not to avoid conflict. I think that adds pressure and BM must know where that comes from, because before me DH didn't pay attention to details & she could get away with more.

I am also an ex wife, I have not spoken to my ex except for twice after our divorce. Once to have him sign something & once to return something that had gotten mixed in with my stuff. We have no children so it's easy. I do know he is aware that I remarried ( probably through our bone head insurance man) but I don't think he knows about the baby. After the divorce he went around lamenting how hard the divorce had been on him to mutual accquantances, my response was " Oh really, well the marriage was hard on me " Smile

I sometimes wonder if in some cases our husband's didn't make the BM's the bitches they are. Chava's husband comes to mind... maybe that woman was mentally stable before being married to him. Don't be offended because I wonder that about my own. Did his mental illness drain Bm the way it has me. Is it inevitable that I will divorce him, end up hating him & fight him over our child?

Colorado Girl's picture

is bipolar (like your husband) so I understand that drain.

In my case, I think DH has enabled BM in the past, she was used to walking all over him and it was so hard for her when I was there to say - ENOUGH!!!

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...It's about learning to dance in the rain."

Tired2's picture

I also have complete control much like you. I make all of the decisions...regardless of what they are. I also feel that I'm a good ex-wife and have been told so by my ex himself. Your comment about him going back for 50/50 placement or lower child support....I really couldn't tell you how I would feel. I don't think he stands a snowballs chance in hell of ever getting either whether he's married again or not. (for the record he's been married 4 times-3 if you don't count the annulment from wife 4 last year) I guess being a good ex-wife is only as easy as having a passive ex-husband that pays his child support.

Having said that....I'm sure I would lose my freakin mind! I would probably turn into the Evil Ex-Wife From Hell!

I guess I'm seeing myself a little differently now...or him. I've thought for a long time that he was a bad father and I've made that no big secret but I'm not like some BM's that psycho dial their exes just for the sake of aggravating them. My ex's 3rd wife was a pain in the ass when they first married. She did try to push her thoughts on me...but that quickly changed when she figured out who was REALLY in control of BD's upbringing. After that we were actually friends. When they divorced she went completely psychotic on him acting like alot of the BM's on this site (and she didn't even have children with him!) Thank goodness I never had to deal with it and neither did my daughter.

Angel's picture

and I haven't breathed the same airspace for years. Our children are grown so I never have to see him if I don't want to----and since it looks like my kids will ever marry (27,28,29 soon to be 28,29,30)I won't have to even see him at a wedding.
He gave me child support for 6 months until my daughter graduated from high school. Not a red cent more. I never asked for anything more. Granted, I did get the better house! he he he

He has a new woman (for ten years now) & I wish him well. She gets no grief from me AT ALLLLLLLL! I don't know if my kids irritate her, they are all college educated & financially responsible. She is damn lucky to have entered into a normal family environment that is not dysfunction junction. I hear she is dying to meet me because my X speaks highly of me. I don't wannnnnna, I could care less about them. I have total indifference.

sarahbernheart's picture

I do have to say my FH ex leaves us pretty much alone, she is over dramtic sometimes and not a great mom but she does not interfere when the kids are with us.
but when she needs to be SUPER mom she is on the phone with FH whining and scheming!!
no one is a great ex otherwise we would not be an EX right??
LOL..

“You will never be on top of the world
if you try to carry it on your shoulders.”

SUNFLOWERGRL's picture

Because he would never fight for 50/50 custody. He is too caught up in his own freedom he never was really around when we were married. So yeah i can say my feelings would never change even if he was to quit his job tomorrow. He still wouldnt see the kids. My fiance makes enough money to take care of me and all the kids so the money isnt really an issue but he cant just give up his responsibility as a parent to provide just because. Besides its not my fiances responsibility to provide for them financially. He does it because he loves the kids not because I make him or he feels sorry for them. My ex does have it good. And i do consider myself self righteous about it because I would NEVER do the things my SD mother does to me regardless how everything ended. After all the nasty things my ex husband did to me i have every right to be a B*^*% to him. But why? So i can look as horrible as him. Nope. I rather not deal with him. The only thing i have control over is my own life. Not my children. His visitations are open. He has no set schedule when he can and cant see the kids. We add lib it. Its his own fault that he only see them an 8% time share. He claims he is too busy to see the kids. I am certainly not going to just drop by and drop them off to him. For what? So his mom can take care of them. Nope. As for his girlfriend. She lives in Mexico. She never sees them but 4-5 times a year. And if she had certain values that i did not agree with then so what? Not everyone is going to agree with me. My children know right from wrong and just because someone sees things differently than there mom does doesnt make them a bad person. I would only hope his girlfriend tried to be a mom to my kids. That is her job when i am not there. And as for the BM of my SD, she is crazy even before they split up. She was a control freak and a dictator for my fiance every move. It just got worse once she had a baby. Threatening suicide because a boyfriend was going to leave her shows that she isnt working with a full deck of cards there. So her behavior was WAY before I ever came along. I am a BM so i am put in her shoes. But why harp on something you cant change? She acts like she will never have another boyfriend again. Maybe she wont with her attitude but that is not something she should blame me for. I just see a lot of post on here about crazy BM and ex wife. I am very proud that I can actually say that I am a good ex wife. Whether or not you agree is not the issue. Nor would it pursway me to think differently. I just wanted to say that even though we have to deal with BM and Ex wives, there are still some decent ones out there. And I like to think that i am one of them. Especially by my actions.

"Just because you can give birth, doesn't mean you should"

Colorado Girl's picture

Please understand that I'm not trying to engage in an argument with you. I don't have enough knowledge about your situation to form any sort of an opinion of what kind of ex-wife you are.

"Whether or not you agree is not the issue. Nor would it pursway me to think differently."

I wouldn't want to pursuade you to feel any differently about anything.

All I was throwing out there is that sometimes we shouldn't fall into that mindset that "I'm perfect and BM sucks" - not until you've walked a mile in her shoes. You are a BM but you are not "in her shoes", your two situations are VERY different. Your SDs BM has to in her mind compete with you and with what a great mom you are. She's insecure and jealous. You are not.

I guess what I'm saying is that all these situations are hard on ALL of us and I'm so very humbled by the whole experience. It took me a long time to realize that I just wasn't as great as I once thought I was. That's all.

And for what it's worth, I personally think you are "great".... Wink

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...It's about learning to dance in the rain."

SUNFLOWERGRL's picture

I think the whole word of "self righteous" part through me off. I was thinking you were confusing that with a strong woman who does speak her mind in both relationships with my ex and the BM. No one is perfect and i dont want to come off that way. I am just really glad that i dont act like that i was just making a statment that my ex has it good and he doesnt even know it. Plus for the fact that this site has constant posts about horrible BM and ex wives that i just wanted to state that there still some decent ones out there.

"Just because you can give birth, doesn't mean you should"

Colorado Girl's picture

was only an adjective to the statement of "I'm a great ex-wife!!!" not to you personally.

What is the formula for a great ex wife, anyways? Who gets to make the judgement call?

Because I guarantee that my skids BM thinks she is a great ex-wife and I would really have to contest that she isn't. She will also contend that DH doesn't pay his fair share and I personally think that DH completely takes care of her financially (and sometimes even mentally) but she, however, insists that she is completely independent. She would be lost if it weren't for DH. For BM and I, our view of the world is just so different. We're also very different individuals in all aspects of life.

I think it's great that you recognize that you are not like your SD's BM in the sense that you won't be jealous of any new relationship your ex may have. Maybe the experiences that you are enduring will allow you to continue to be a great ex-wife when similar situations arise in your own biochildren's life with their dad.

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...It's about learning to dance in the rain."

Conflicted's picture

And good for you Sunflower! I too am a kick-ass ex-wife. I thought about what Colorado said about whether or not I would be so awesome if things didn't work out so well.

I SHARE my daughter with my ex in a 50/50 split parenting plan. He parents in his house and I parent in mine. My ex and I are friends, my ex is friends with my DH and my ex mother-in-law still takes my son (from another dad) around with her because she still wants to be a part of his life (again, its not her grandchild).

I think everyone involved in this situation is great, we are all able to act like adults, none of us are control freaks (by the way I AM a control freak by nature but I have learned that I just can't be that way anymore, it was driving me crazy and making those around me miserable so I had to let go.)

I would LOVE to have 100% control over my kids and their affairs, but thats not what is best for them. It killed me when my 10-year-old son told me the other day that he WANTS to live with his dad, but I have to remember that I'm not in control of everything. My son's dad is a great dad and is perfectly capable of caring for our son, so even though it kills me, I have to let go.... not only do I have to let go but I have to pretend that I'm happy about it too to show my son the support he needs.

I'm kind of going off on my own thing now but I wanted to thank Colorado for the difference in perspective, it really got me thinking as I often wonder how and why it is that I have such a great situation with my ex but my DH has such a contaminated one with his ex.
I think maybe its because DH's ex DOES NOT have full control (we have joint custody of my skids) and she can't get over it.... she wants nothing more than to control everything and everyone she comes accross, she is very manapulitive and does not put the interests of her kids before her own. She can't or won't move on and she can't or won't let go and live her own life and realize that her kids are not possessions.

I'm glad that I don't have to live that way, I know that at one point I was headed down that path but I'm glad that I didn't get too far. I've felt a lot of pain because of my hard head, I've had to take a lot of hits but I have finally learned to "Let go and let God" (as my dad says). It hasn't always been easy, but God has never put more before me than I could handle and I have learned great lessons along the way. I am so grateful that I don't have to live in a self made hell like many others, not just BM's but also a lot of SM's and its nice to hear that others are taking their power back.

You go Sunflower!!

Mrs Katch 22's picture

Your ex is lucky to have an ex-wife like you!! My DH and BM were never married...but she always had that element of hope I guess. She still watches the birth video of their daughter and gets all nostalgic and sad; and actually tells SD this! And she'll come over on visitation weekends and say that they were watching the video..and do a play by play of how DH was acting with BM.

She hasn't married and has had on and off boyfriends, but nothing serious. I posted something about the BM being nice all of a sudden..I just don't understand it!

How do you respond when your kid(s) ask why you and daddy aren't together anymore?

Conflicted's picture

BM watching the birth video is kind of strange..... almost like she just wants to see she and YOUR dh together in happy times.

Honestly, I know that would bother me (especially due to the fact that she is sick enough to involve SD in her obsessive and bizzare antics....)
I would be mad but then get over it and remember that instead of being angry you should be grateful, grateful that BM didn't know what she had when she had it, because if she had been smart enough to see a good thing standing right before her or if she had cherished your DH they way he deserves then you may not have him now.
When it comes to my DH's ex I pitty her because she go through life destroying relationships and burning bridges. I silently pitty her and sometimes even pray that someday she will find some form of comfort. How sad for her that she cannot find a man to be happy with for longer than a couple of months, to settle down with and maintain some sort of stability/"normal life". How sad for her that she has to obsess over OLD videos to catch even a moment of happiness which I'm sure is quickly dissolved when she steps away from the TV and realizes once again that the life she could have had will never be hers because even when she has a good man right in front of her within her grasp she will eventually destroy each and every relationship that has the misfortune to enter her life.

Don't trust BM, she is being nice for a reason and that reason will surface sooner or later. She is not nice just to be nice she wants or feels that she needs something. Just wait, it will come out.

I would always be civil toward her, you should be civil toward everyone you meet, but don't be her friend and don't trust her.

By the way, my bio daughter has been asking her daddy (my ex husband) why we aren't together. When she asks me these questions I remind her of how lucky she is because now she gets an extra mom and an extra dad and more brothers and sisters (2 step brother on dad's side and a step brother and sister on my side), she gets 2 of every holiday and birthdays and more people in her life who love her.

My daughter's SM is a hairdresser and so I remind my daughter that she wouldn't get the cool haircuts if her SM weren't around. My DH is a big construction worker and hunter and has exposed my girly girl to things that she would have never been introducted to without him like hunting, camping and getting dirty, I remind her of how lucky she is and how we all work together to shape her life and keep her safe.

The why aren't my mom and dad together questions are normal, you just have to work with what you've got and make the best!

Mrs Katch 22's picture

"Don't trust BM, she is being nice for a reason and that reason will surface sooner or later. She is not nice just to be nice she wants or feels that she needs something. Just wait, it will come out."

Okay...thank you for your response Smile You're a great BM! Biggrin I believe though that DH really things she's had a change of heart...how do I stop him from being such a sucker? He probably thinks I'm crazy for acting this way...but either way, if BM had beliefs and she's going against it, it must be hard for her to flip the switch and be nice..even if she has ulterior motives..UGH!...Why oh why must we have to deal with her...sigh. I can't wait until SD gets a little older so we can just deal with her...

sixxnguns's picture

I don't cause problems for my ex and his fiancee...life goes on and she can HAVE him..lol...he did some terrible things to me too, but it doesn't mean I'm going to make him miserable..the only thing we share anymore is a child and he's too busy for her and I'm sick of calling him for visitation...the past is the past and there's no reason for me to make trouble for him and his girl...I have my own life and don't see the need to hang on to the past...

laurels4u's picture

It's funny because my DD always tells me how my ex complains about me to her. What's funny is, I haven't spoken to him in YEARS about anything nonessential nor have I bitched or complained to him about anything regarding our daughter. The most I've talked to him about is her health insurance, a simple request to have her new info because the dentist was hounding me about her unpaid claim and his share of paying for her braces and I didn't even force him to pay the 70% that was ordered per the CS agreement. All I asked for was half so IMHO he should consider himself lucky! I've also been contacted twice in the last five years by the CS enforcement agency in our state to have our CS order reviewed because the guidelines have increased by 25%. He's making at least three times as much as he did since the last time we had the case reviewed but I haven't hauled him back in to court since.

In our custody & visitation order, he doesn't have much since he was on drugs and his wife is shady. He is entitled to see DD three weekends a month but no overnights. He's always telling my DD that it's my fault that it's like that. Well, yes it is because I didn't want her in his house with drug deals going down and his wife has a history of violence so I didn't want her in the middle of one of SM's fistfights. I guess if that makes me bitchy, then so be it. Her safety is my number one concern. I don't call him, don't harrass him, and don't deny him access to DD. If she chooses to not visit with him or not to maintain contact with him, then that's her choice.

All I'm asking for is some good old honesty served up fresh when I ask for it without the side order of hot tongue and cold shoulder!

sassymom's picture

My ex would proably say I'm a good ex wife, were close to friends. we can talk about the children and life and laugh. he lets me live my life and i live my life. but my husbands ex wives would proably not say the same thing i don't brother them but i don't let them run me over either so that always pisses them off.

ColorMeGone2's picture

I haven't seen, spoken to, emailed, written, sent a message to, contacted or in any way intruded into my ex's life in the over ten years since our divorce was finalized, except for one signature that I needed on one document four years ago and to get that I contacted him through a letter.

My husband's ex is an absolute joy... as long as we don't ask to see the kids more than a few times a year, don't call them too often, don't ask about their schooling, don't request medical information, don't ask to be a part of the decision-making process and don't try to get involved in their lives beyond paying CS, sending money/gifts and providing insurance. Sad

♥ Georgia ♥

"Good men don't just happen. They have to be created by us women." (from ROSEANNE)

Rose's picture

Hello i am new to this site and have read the rants and raves of the SM section and the posts on the great ex-wives comments. I am both a SM and a BM and have been on the both sides of the stick, dealing with the ex and Being and EX W/children.

I was ready to give up, throw the towl in and leave my current spouse because of the chaos his DREADFUL EX puts us through. I am also an exwife from a previous marriage who feels after reading all the Posts that i am too an easygoing ex who wants the best for my kid, but will never stoop so low as to meddling in me ex's life or making it a living hell even though our relationship was so messed up in the past. Everyone should have boundaries put on them at some point when they cannot control their anger against the other, and is putting the innocent children through such turmoil.

I just sat down with my Brother last nite and he threw me some pretty good advice even through he has never had kids or been in the situation.

He said "just imagine you are not the one with the control of your kids well being and the other person is PSYCHO and has your kid" how nice would u be to them if they were in control of the situation"
How much pride and self control would you have to put in your back pocket for the expense of seeing your kid or just to be with them for a day a week?

I think i am just trying to see from my spouses perspective instead of feeling like he's doing everything to please his EX or feel like i dont have control over my life and situation. What would i do or how would i act if i was on his end of the stick.

I guess this post is mainly for the SM's and ladies out their who have felt like giving up on their role as a SM or a current spouse because of a crazy EX wife. I know it can be torture sometimes as i am in the alot of the same predicaments as most of you out there.

But if you really love him and can see a future with him, u can make it through. I feel GOD has given us high tolerance levels for a reason! LOL

Sorry so long.
Had to get this off my chest

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent"
"One moment of Anger can lead to a lifetime of regret"