I wonder when the “Disneyland dad” phase usually wears off?
It’s hard watching someone suddenly become the parent who drops thousands on quick trips and nonstop experiences, especially when during the marriage every vacation was “too expensive” and I had to beg just to do things together.
I hope someday my kids remember more than just the expensive outings. I hope they remember movie nights, being understood, and feeling loved in the ordinary moments too.
Did it ever wear off for you?
Did your kids see through it?
How did you handle your disgust, and anger when you find out all the fun things they did together, knowing you can not reciprocate because you’re using all the money you have to keep everything afloat.
For reference I am a stay at home mom going back to school after being out of the work force for 12 years to raise our kids. I left college because we both thought it was a good idea while I raised the kids. He makes 5x my income which is about 4x as much as he made when we first got married. I only have temporary orders that don’t include child support at the moment.