QLD Do I Have to be Present During Skype Calls?

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Jess Anne

Member
3 December 2016
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0
1
Hello.

Things have become extremely hostile between the children's father and I. He and I share a 4-year old and a 1-year-old. Am I allowed to connect the Skype call and set it up in a quiet room for the children to talk to him and not physically be in the room?

Unfortunately, my friends and family won't help with these calls due to his outbursts with them the few times they have done it.

I right now can no longer deal with his aggression towards me and I'm sick of his snide comments he makes during these calls that the kids don't understand but I do. Then he sits there and laughs when my eldest asks me what daddy means and the father sits there and says "Yes, mummy, explain what I mean".

I feel like if I remove myself from these calls, perhaps they will go smoother.

I wouldn't ask this question, however, the only issue is that during most calls, I am having to force the children to sit by holding them in my lap. The 1-year-old, I have stopped forcing him on my lap for sometime now and this hasn't bothered the father. The baby will poke his head in here and there. The 4-year-old can hold the phone, however, his attention span is very short. Even with me making him sit there, he will kick and scream after a minute and want to go.

My only concern would be is that maybe if I'm not in the room forcing them to sit there, they may not talk to him at all or for even a shorter period than the normal 1 minute. Maybe it might make them more interested to talk to him if I'm not about, I don't know?

I believe the father is going to take me to family court to have the kids as the primary care giver. If I do this, will this make me look as if I'm not encouraging the relationship?

I understand that everything is now about what's in the best interest for the kids after the relationship breakdown and I do my best to make sure they have every opportunity to speak with and see the father but do I have to be in the room for the video calls?

Thank you so much.
 

sammy01

Well-Known Member
27 September 2015
5,152
720
2,894
Is he seeing the kids in person?

Look - the best thing you can do is sit there with the 1-year-old on your lap and encourage play / communication. Don't get involved with the snide comments and other folly. Just be the better person. By ignoring the comments and encouraging phone / Akype conversations, you're helping your cause.
 

MartyK

Well-Known Member
4 June 2016
419
61
794
Take record of all Skype communications. Do not by into any nonsense.
 
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SamanthaJay

Well-Known Member
4 July 2016
335
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794
Hi Jess,

Would it help if you could just put in headphones and listen to music on another device or even just those disposable ear plugs you can get from Bunnings or the chemist? That way you don't need to listen to him but you can supervise the kids and try and get them to sit there for a few minutes.