I feel like I shoudn't be responsible for my ss fathers day gift but I helped him make something anyway because I was going to be getting something from my daughter for him and I didn't want him to feel left out and it to backfire on me, but if your ss made something at school I wouldn't bother doing anything, my ss isn't in school anymore but if he was and did something I would think that would suffice.

Go on the trip just you, your kids, and your mom....he needs to put on his big boy pants and get over it. Tell him you need some time with your mother and kids and it would be good for him to get some alone time with his son. Take your kids and go, you are a grown woman you don't need your husbands permission to go and he needs to step up and be able to spend the weekend alone with his kid.

I think a craft from school is fine for father's day at his age, as he gets older he will be able to do projects like your kids.

And I think you should go on your mini break with your mom. My DH and I occasionally do separate things with our kids - be it movies or dinners with grandparents or even twice - a vacation.

If your DH complains, tell him that your mom has seen how tired you are and kindly offered you a break - and from the goodness of your heart you decided to take your kids rather than leave them all with him for the weekend, but if he would prefer to have all three kids, you'll happily go alone with your mom..... don't worry, he won't go for it....

Go and enjoy your kids, you deserve it.

Go on the trip with your mother and enjoy yourself and let your DH have his SS for the weekend - it is good every now and again to let your DH know how much you do for SS and how life would suck if you were not there - taking care of a 4 year old is not easy and I am sure that you do most of the work when he comes to stay with you!!

In the early years, I used to go all out. Had the skids present biodad with a scrapbook project that I bought the materials for and orchestrated.

I'm sure word of that got back to the Behemoth (BM) and she was NOT pleased. She just ramped up her PAS campaign. Five years into the deal, she had the oldest two PAS out at ages 9 and 11.

Six years later the youngest PASed out just before turning 7.

My SO lets the kids make the crafts at school for mothers day he didnt go out and buy me anything to give to me from them just their crafts. My SO did get me flowers though from him. SO its all about what you want and what you feel comfortable giving. I also think you should go on the mini break and give ss and is dad a mini break. Moments alone with your parent are priceless.

Go! Time away is precious. I take DD on girl weekends with me. Never took the skids. When DD is at camp this summer, I plan to take DS to all the sci-fi adventure movies that DD hates. Over spring break I took my bios to visit my aunt and left DH and the skids home to spend time together. Everyone benefits from this arrangement. I have never included skids in trips to visit my family, first of all, thanks to CS we never had enough money to buy them an airline ticket. Secondly, it was my time to spend with my parents and sisters. I say it is not only fair but essential.

A couple of months ago BS4 & I went alone to my parents for a weekend & left DH home alone & it was awesome. I have never done it before. BS & I had a great time, I got to sleep in while my parents watched him, we got to do whatever we wanted w/o having to make sure DH or skids were entertained, and Dh ( skids were with BM) got to have some alone time. Best part was DH really really missed us & was very happy to see us when we finally made it home.