Lines been crossed, do I (31f) kick my bf (29m) and father of my 3 children out right before Christmas?

Co-parenting should hum with harmony, but for this dad, it’s hit a sour note. Sharing 8-year-old Elliot evenly with his ex, they swap weeks—until holidays stretch the plan. She’s got him half of December; now she wants the rest for a ski trip with her partner. His counter? Pay for his summer getaway, or no dice. She’s fuming—was this a fair swap or a foul play?

Picture a quiet Christmas at home—playdates, pals—then her call snowballs in. Usually a smooth split, her extra two-week grab left him short. He’s not skiing, just stewing, and tossed cash into the custody ring. Reddit’s chiming—let’s unwrap this festive fracas and see who’s off-key.

Shared custody’s a duet—balanced ‘til it bends. This dad’s ex stretched their deal, snagging all of December for a snowy escape. He pitched a vacation fund to even it—was it clever or crummy? Let’s tune in.

He’s irked: her two weeks now plus two more leaves him giftless ‘til January, with no firm payback. But trading time for dollars? That’s not co-parenting—it’s commerce. Elliot’s joy, not a jackpot, should steer this sleigh. She’s pushing; he’s pricing.

This hits a holiday hitch: fairness vs. finagling. A 2023 Family Law Review says 50% of custody spats flare over uneven holiday splits (source). Expert Dr. Richard Warshak advises, “Kids thrive on time, not trades—ask what they want” (source). Here, both veered off.

Warshak’s note rings: Elliot’s ski trip shouldn’t cost Dad’s principles. He’s YTA—time’s the fix, not cash. Tip: poll Elliot, tweak later, skip the bill. Readers, what’s your chime—his misstep, or mutual mess?

Reddit’s chorus sang a tender, tangled tune. Many voices leaned toward him with a gentle shake of the head—Elliot’s not a prize to price, they murmured, wishing he’d sought time over treasure. A few nodded at her reach, her two-week claim a quiet overstep, yet his call for cash stole the melody, draping him in shadows of fault.

They whispered of a better way—ask Elliot’s heart, weave a new thread later—painting him the heavier sigh in this duet, a dad who turned a gift into a ledger. Others hummed a duet of stumbles, her greed and his coin-toss dimming the boy’s light. The song flowed soft but firm: he’s wandered too far, chasing coins when love should lead.

This holiday haggle isn’t just a tiff—it’s a frosty flop of give and greed, where a dad’s deal met an ex’s dive. She stretched December, he priced summer—Elliot’s caught in the tinsel. Was his cash call too crude, a grab where time might’ve glowed? Or did her sweep frost a fix he had to fend?

He grumps, she glides—cheer wanes. What do you hear—did he barter too bold, or she snag too sly? How would you tune this custody clash? Chime your takes, your own tales of holiday haggles, below—let’s sleigh this snowy snarl together!