“Mom, I Don’t Love You Anymore. I Want to Live with Dad” – My Six-Year-Old Said, Determinedly Putting on His Shoes and Hat

“Mom, I don’t love you anymore. I want to live with Dad.” These words hit me like a ton of bricks as my six-year-old son, Ethan, stood in the hallway, determinedly putting on his shoes and pulling his hat down firmly over his ears. He had gathered all his toys, books, and clothes into a small suitcase. He even said goodbye to our dog, Max, telling him to be good and not cause trouble. It was then that I realized my son wasn’t joking.

I divorced Ethan’s father over three years ago. The separation was messy and filled with bitterness. We tried to shield Ethan from the worst of it, but children are perceptive. They pick up on the tension, the whispered arguments, and the sudden changes in routine. Despite my best efforts to create a stable and loving environment for him, it was clear that Ethan was struggling.

Ethan’s father, Mark, had always been the fun parent. He took Ethan on exciting adventures, bought him the latest toys, and rarely said no. In contrast, I was the one who enforced rules, made sure homework was done, and insisted on vegetables at dinner. It was a classic case of good cop, bad cop, and I was losing.

As Ethan stood there, suitcase in hand, I felt a wave of panic wash over me. “Ethan, honey, why do you want to go live with Dad?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

“Because Dad lets me do what I want,” he replied simply. “He doesn’t make me eat broccoli or go to bed early. And he doesn’t yell at me.”

I felt a lump form in my throat. “Ethan, I don’t yell at you because I want to hurt you. I just want you to be safe and healthy.”

“But I don’t like it here,” he said stubbornly. “I want to be with Dad.”

I knelt down to his level and looked into his eyes. “Ethan, living with Dad might seem like more fun, but it’s not always about having fun. It’s about being loved and cared for.”

He looked away, his little face set in a determined frown. “I still want to go.”

I knew that legally, Ethan couldn’t just decide to live with his father without a court’s approval. But the thought of forcing him to stay with me against his will was heartbreaking. I decided to call Mark and explain the situation.

Mark arrived an hour later, looking concerned but not surprised. “Ethan told me he wanted to live with me,” he said as we stood in the kitchen.

“I don’t know what to do,” I admitted, tears welling up in my eyes.

Mark sighed. “Maybe we should let him stay with me for a while. Just until he calms down.”

I nodded reluctantly. “But we need to make sure he understands that this isn’t a permanent solution.”

Ethan was ecstatic when we told him he could stay with his dad for a while. He hugged Mark tightly and barely glanced back at me as they left.

The house felt unbearably empty without Ethan’s presence. I missed his laughter, his chatter, even his stubbornness. I called him every day, but our conversations were brief and strained.

Weeks turned into months, and Ethan showed no signs of wanting to come back home. Mark assured me that Ethan was doing well in school and seemed happy, but it didn’t lessen the ache in my heart.

One evening, as I sat alone in the living room, I received a call from Mark. “We need to talk,” he said gravely.

When we met the next day, Mark explained that Ethan had been acting out at school and seemed increasingly withdrawn. “I think he’s starting to realize that living with me isn’t as perfect as he thought it would be,” Mark admitted.

We decided that it was time for Ethan to come back home, but it wasn’t easy. He resisted at first, angry and confused by the sudden change. It took months of therapy and patience to help him adjust.

In the end, there was no happy resolution. The scars of our divorce had left a lasting impact on Ethan. He continued to struggle with feelings of abandonment and insecurity. As parents, we did our best to support him, but some wounds take a lifetime to heal.