Gofundme page for dad whose divorce means he's broke

Well it’s certainly been more successful than trying to raise money to see Mickey Mouse

so she sold her story to the S*n instead

Best stick to some random assortment of words arranged into vows, instead of reasoned judgement, though eh?

I wasn’t referring simply to marriage vows, more the responsibility one takes on when one decides to have children. It’s my firm belief that children benefit from a stable home with 2 parents. You find that offensive because it doesn’t match the life you chose. I couldn’t care less. They’re my beliefs.

I got divorced when my kids were young, and you’re right about one thing they have never had a happy home life.

They’ve had two.

My sister-in-law got divorced 6 years ago. Their 3 kids have now got two shit homes instead of one.

They’re now full of issues in and out of school. Neither parent puts them first and they constantly find ways to points score off one another.

Works both ways this divorce lark.

people suggesting (indirectly or otherwise) that he can ‘go f*** himself’.

Fund. The word was Fund.

As in “take reponsibility for your own financial affairs on account of being a grown up”.

I’m sure he’s a nice bloke and everything but asking the internet for money because he can’t be arsed taking responsibility for his own decisions seems unbelievably crass to me when we are constantly bombarded with appeals for money to help people who are unable to help themselves.

You say he’s “genuinely in the poop”.

He’s not.

People whose children are dying of starvation in Somalia because of the worst drought in 200 years, or whose entire families have been killed in Syria or other conflicts around the world.

They’re in the poop.

Jim could solve his own problems by having a grown up conversation with his ex wife or doing some extra shifts at McDonalds or in a car wash.

He’s potentially taken $12,000 dollars away from those who really need it.

If the worst that happens to him is that he gets pelters from random internet strangers half a world away, he’ll probably get over it…..if he can be bothered.

I suppose it’s just possible that those who give kids two shit homes would have given them one even shitter home, and that those who give them two happy homes might have even managed to give them one home where life was OK (until they worked out that it wasn’t normal for daddy to have his own bedroom).

I expect we all have those beliefs whilst it’s all working, councilof10 – if you haven’t tried the alternative then you could just be a bit quieter about things you actually have no experience of.

To be fair, neither of my kids on my power kite, so they’ve never experienced true happiness.

if I had any morals, that’d probably keep me awake at night. Its a good job I’m unrtoubled by such things

They’re now full of issues in and out of school. Neither parent puts them first and they constantly find ways to points score off one another.

So if they’d stayed together they’d have miraculously transformed into model parents?

There’s some serious triumphs of logic going on on this thread.

People who are shit parents, are just shit parents, married or divorced

To be fair, neither of my kids on my power kite,

But you’ll happily splash the cash on all that unnecessary extra pastry for the sides and the bottom to feed your own twisted desires.

You monster. 😉

Fund. The word was Fund.

Not you – someone else more directly suggested the alternative, though your literal post was strongly suggestive of that alternative.

People whose children are dying of starvation in Somalia because of the worst drought in 200 years, or whose entire families have been killed in Syria or other conflicts around the world.

They’re in the poop.

So by that logic, no one apart from those poor hapless children have any right to claim hardship? So we can shut up about how disadvantaged women are, or the disabled, the poor, ethnic minorities, people with terminal cancer etc.

I think you have a point; I think you’re saying that perhaps his perspective is wrong and I would agree with you, which is what motivated my original post. I’m just not sure he’s entirely undeserving of our sympathy. And maybe you’re prepared to offer him that, just not money. And I think that’s where I agree with you also.

Probably the only difference between our assessments of the situation are the words we chose to express our views.

I suppose it’s just possible that those who give kids two shit homes would have given them one even shitter home

If you’re going to give children a sh*t home, perhaps you’re not best suited to having kids. If you’re not prepared to commit to sticking around, perhaps you’re not best suited to having kids. If you can’t make a relationship work, weather the storms and protect your kids from your own problems, then perhaps you’re not best suited to having kids!

It’s my firm belief that children benefit from a stable home with 2 parents.

Fixed that for you seeing as though this debate started due to an unstable home situation with two adults that, it would seem, can no longer live together. I’m genuinely interested in where your belief stems from though? Did you have s stable upbringing? If so, good for you. We had to move house to get away from my Father. I fear he may have badly hurt or possibly killed my Mother if we hadn’t. I guess you think it would have been better all round had they stayed together though?

If you can’t make a relationship work, weather the storms and protect your kids from your own problems, then perhaps you’re not best suited to having kids!

Would you class spousal abuse as weathering the storm? I’m just curious is all. I’d like a pet Unicorn, but living in the real world hampers this, perhaps you should try joining me here?

I’m just not sure he’s entirely undeserving of our sympathy.

You might feel that because you know him personally.

I would suggest that he MTFU and goes and gets a job in McDonald’s to order to pay his rent, rather than begging via the Internet. Seems like that is beneath him.

#lazymiddleclasswhitecollarworker

Says the man who went as far as having IVF with somebody he couldn’t make a relationship work with. But then it’s also clear from that that you have no experience at all of the situation in which some people have kids…

If you’re not prepared to commit to sticking around, perhaps you’re not best suited to having kids. If you can’t make a relationship work, weather the storms and protect your kids from your own problems, then perhaps you’re not best suited to having kids!

And you’re going into parenthood with that open-minded, pragmatic and flexible, accomadating attitude, are you?

Good luck! You’re going to need it! I hope the real world never intrudes on your frankly weird Victorian bubble. I assume your crystal ball has assured you its all going to be plain sailing?

So we can shut up about how disadvantaged women are, or the disabled, the poor, ethnic minorities, people with terminal cancer etc.

Nope. My point entirely is that your friend is none of these things. He has virtually every advantage at his fingertips that society can offer.

I’m just not sure he’s entirely undeserving of our sympathy. And maybe you’re prepared to offer him that, just not money

I have every sympathy for his position. It’s a position that anyone on here could be in….. less so for his attitude that the world in general should be bailing him out because he can’t be bothered to do it for himself.

^^what Binners said. We went through hell when my son was born and he still doesn’t sleep through at three. You best make damned sure your relationship with your partner is rock solid. Mine is, but there have been very close to breaking points for both of us over the last three years.

Says the man who went as far as having IVF with somebody he couldn’t make a relationship work with.

Oof!

Nope. My point entirely is that your friend is none of these things. He has virtually every advantage at his fingertips that society can offer.

Oh that old chestnut. Yeah well I’m sure you know how I feel about that. Simply being ‘male white and middle class’ does not automatically confer an advantage on you, just like being young black and male doesn’t automatically mean you’re a drug dealing violent gang member. But we will have to agree to disagree on that.

because he can’t be bothered to do it for himself.

If that’s what’s happening here.

Simply being ‘male white and middle class’ does not automatically confer an advantage on you,

Yes it does.

being young black and male doesn’t automatically mean you’re a drug dealing violent gang member

But it makes it a lot more likely.

We had to move house to get away from my Father. I fear he may have badly hurt or possibly killed my Mother if we hadn’t.

I’m guessing that your father wasn’t best suited to having children.

Says the man who went as far as having IVF with somebody he couldn’t make a relationship work with.

Let’s just say that the process made me see that she wasn’t best suited to having children.

We went through hell when my son was born and he still doesn’t sleep through at three. You best make damned sure your relationship with your partner is rock solid. Mine is, but there have been very close to breaking points for both of us over the last three years.

Sounds like you’re quite well suited to having children. Best wishes for the future! 🙂

Simply being ‘male white and middle class’ does not automatically confer an advantage on you,

Agreed…..but because a specific example happens to conform to a sterotype doesn’t in any way prove the sterotype any more than it negates the fact that, in this instance, it’s true.

Based on Jim’s own information he seems to be possessed of enough intelligence and education to at least procure a consultancy or sales job.

He doesn’t mention any impediments or disabilities which would actively prevent him from obtaining work.

It’s just kinda difficult.

He was close to getting evicted more than ten months ago. Presumably he’s either been evicted or is continuing to live there on other peoples money.

He’s had ten months to find a job. Any luck there?

I’m convinced he’s confused laziness and apathy for bad luck and hardship.

Ah, I remember the good old days of Internet Panhandling. All you needed was a winsome smile, £20k of credit card debt and a book deal would land in your lap almost immediately.

I think Jim is about 14 years too late to make a go of this idea.

http://www.karynbosnak.com/save-karyn/%5B/url%5D

I’m guessing that your father wasn’t best suited to having children.

Funny thing is he was, even adopted my older brother. His own personal demons, coupled with my mother’s issues lead him down the path of alcoholism. This changed him beyond all recognition and he never admitted the problem. There wasn’t the help there is now for people with mental issues either.

Must be nice in your sepia toned wonderland. Are there rainbows there? Scratch that as they’d be in black and white wouldn’t they, so you wouldn’t know

. I’m even more amazed at how nastily some people are behaving on this thread.

Sadly, I’m not….

I’m convinced he’s confused laziness and apathy for bad luck and hardship.

100%… And he displays a level of entitlement normally only seen in people 30 or 40 years younger than him!

Jim wants a bail-out.
The banks got one, so why not give it a go?

Certainly has got rather ugly in the last page.

Entertaining though… in a train crash kind of way.

Funny thing is he was, even adopted my older brother. His own personal demons, coupled with my mother’s issues lead him down the path of alcoholism.

Right… I’m going to tread really carefully here as it’s really not my intention to offend you, but I fear I might. Apologies in advance…

But ‘demons’ and ‘issues’ are their problems, and I’m sorry, but they really are reasons that one could say make them not best suited to parenthood. Everyone has the right to decide for themselves if they should have children, but ‘demons’ and ‘issues’ doesn’t make them blameless when they decide to bail out.

Regarding the OP (as I’ve gone off topic) I’d say fair play to him. If people want to donate then who’s to stop them deciding what to do with their own money?

I wouldn’t donate or try that tactic myself. If I were ever to be that desperate I’d sell all my possessions, attempt to sell my body and possibly resort to crime before even having a Facebook account 🙂

In your world of absolute moral certainties, as well as nuance, you seem to struggle with the concepts of empathy and compassion too.

Are you Iain Duncan Smith?

But ‘demons’ and ‘issues’ are their problems, and I’m sorry, but they really are reasons that one could say make them not best suited to parenthood. Everyone has the right to decide for themselves if they should have children, but ‘demons’ and ‘issues’ doesn’t make them blameless when they decide to bail out.

Don’t worry I’m really difficult to upset or offend (probably as a result of my upbringing) where my parents are concerned so you’re fine on that count. I find your black and white view a bit disturbing to be honest. His issues weren’t preexisting and developed when I was around ten.

If he’d not have bailed the situation would have been a lot worse. Possibly to a tragic degree, so I’m bloody glad he did.

In your world of absolute moral certainties, as well as nuance, you seem to struggle with the concepts of empathy and compassion too.

Not in the slightest. If we did live in a perfect world, people would accept responsibility for their own circumstances rather than constantly trying to blame everyone else. And they’d admit it when they failed or if decisions they made were to the detriment of other people rather than trying to bully the world into agreeing that they ‘did the right thing’.

and if you hadn’t had to go through that process you wouldn’t have found out until a bit later

And they’d admit it when they failed or if decisions they made were to the detriment of other people

I’m guessing that’s not an issue you’ve ever had either?

I’m guessing that’s not an issue you’ve ever had either?

Have you been reading a different thread? I’m perfectly capable of admitting when I failed, it’s still a failure no matter how I try to paint it. Thankfully the situation didn’t affect children – I made my decision before it did…

Anyway, as much as you clearly want to talk about my life, we seem to be wandering away from Jim, who from what I can gather, isn’t plagued by demons or issues and remains friends with his ex, so it’s safe to say neither of them are dangerous.

He’s just of such weak character and liking in pride that he’s prepared to scrounge money off strangers to pay for what he considers to be a lifestyle he deserves.

The OP came on here asking for our opinions, and I’m giving it… I find it abhorrent! He needs to man up, grow a pair and face up to his own responsibilities rather than rattling a tin and expecting the rest of the world to bail him out.

He’s made his own bed, and if that means he’s deprived of the “oxygen” that is his children, tough luck sunshine!

TBF, going through this shit must be hard, regardless of location / age / race. Bit unfair to comment unless you have gone through it yourself – Find it’s so easy to have an opinion these days. I’m sure there are more worthy causes but at least you can see exactly where the money goes. Was going to leave $2 as my good totally random deed of the day, in the hope of helping out a dude down on his luck – then got told I had to donate a minimum of $5 which is too much. Any UK MTB’ers going through the same shit and need some help?

He’s only a couple of grand away from his target! Awesome stuff.

#payforjim

Judge not that ye be judged etc etc on this issue for me.

He’s just of such weak character and liking in pride that he’s prepared to scrounge money off strangers to pay for what he considers to be a lifestyle he deserves.

And it appears to be working too. Maybe he’s not of weak character, maybe he’s very savvy. See, I too can play guess the personality traits of people I don’t know.

#payforjim indeed

I’m convinced he’s confused laziness and apathy for bad luck and hardship.

Very, very premature to make that judgement, I’d say.