My ex and I share custody of our daughter, and since he usually does the drop-offs and pick-ups, I’d never actually been inside his new place. I didn’t think much of it — as long as our daughter seemed happy, I let it be.
But last week, when I went to drop off her forgotten school project, everything changed.
When I walked down the hallway and saw her bedroom door wide open, I froze in shock. The room that was supposed to be hers was filled with someone else’s belongings. Clothes, boxes, and random items were piled everywhere, like it was never meant to be her space at all. My heart sank. I immediately asked him what was going on, because I couldn’t understand why her room looked like it belonged to a stranger.
When I confronted him, he admitted he had rented out her room to make extra money. He brushed it off, saying she was “fine” with sleeping on the couch, as if her comfort and sense of security didn’t matter in the slightest.
I was stunned into silence. Our daughter deserves a room of her own — a safe space where she can keep her things and truly feel at home. Instead, he chose to put money above her needs. What hurt even more was his complete lack of concern. This wasn’t just about her sleeping on a couch — it was about her right to respect, stability, and the sense that she belongs.
I left that day angry and heartbroken. I still can’t believe he thought it was acceptable to take away her room like it was nothing. Now my daughter is with me full-time until he can prove she has a proper space in his house. She’s happier and more comfortable here, and I feel relieved knowing she has the stability she needs. Still, I can’t shake off how casually he treated the whole situation.
What would you do if your co-parent put money above your child’s comfort? I couldn’t ignore it — a child deserves more than a couch to sleep on. Am I wrong for drawing this line and refusing to send her back until she has a proper room again?
