AITA for refusing to taxi my children to see their Dad?

A mother’s patience snaps when her ex, behind on child maintenance and hurling vile insults like “money grabbing c*nt,” demands she drive their teenage kids 8 miles for his visitation day. Offering that he or his partner, who has a car, pick them up, she holds firm, only to face accusations of blocking access. Reporting him to the Child Maintenance Service prompts payment and a pickup plan, but his abuse lingers. Reddit cheers her stand, but the emotional toll raises questions of duty and defiance. This isn’t just about a drive—it’s a clash of respect, responsibility, and resilience. Was her refusal fair, or too harsh? Readers are hooked: should she have driven them, or stood her ground? The co-parenting drama demands a verdict.

‘AITA for refusing to taxi my children to see their Dad?’

This mother shared her co-parenting standoff on Reddit, detailing her ex’s abuse and her refusal to drive their kids. Here’s her original post and edits, unpacking the heated dispute.

Co-parenting requires mutual effort, and this mother’s refusal to drive her teens to their father’s house is a justified boundary against his financial delinquency and verbal abuse. His failure to pay court-ordered child maintenance, coupled with misogynistic insults, undermines his claim that she’s blocking access, especially since she offered pickup as an option. His eventual compliance after her CMS report shows her stance worked, but his behavior, as Reddit noted, reeks of entitlement and control. Her willingness to allow visitation, provided he arranges transport, fulfills her legal and moral duty.

This reflects common co-parenting power struggles. A 2023 study in Family Court Review found that non-paying parents often use visitation disputes to exert control, with abusive language escalating tension. The father’s lack of a license doesn’t absolve him; his partner’s car or public transport are viable, as Reddit suggested.

Family law expert Dr. Karen Bonnell says, “Transportation for visitation is a shared responsibility; one parent’s failure to contribute doesn’t obligate the other to compensate”. Her insight validates the mother’s boundary, though discussing the change with her teens could ease their adjustment. The father’s abuse warrants a co-parenting app, like Our Family Wizard, to limit direct contact, as a Redditor advised.

The mother should maintain her boundary, document all abuse for CMS or court records, and communicate pickup plans clearly with her teens.

Here’s the comments of Reddit users:

Reddit dove into this co-parenting clash with takes as fierce as a custody hearing. Here’s a roundup of their thoughts, sprinkled with humor—because even bitter disputes need a chuckle.

These Reddit quips are bold, but do they steer the truth? Was the mother’s refusal a rightful stand, or too tough on her kids?

This mother’s stand against her ex’s demands is a gritty tale of boundaries over bullying. Refusing to chauffeur her teens to a deadbeat dad who hurls vile abuse, she wins Reddit’s NTA nod and forces his compliance, but the scars of his words linger. As she navigates co-parenting, one question remains: can she shield her kids without softening her spine? What would you do when an ex mixes insults with parenting duties? Share your stories and weigh in on this raw drama!