As always with Bethie, I also really don’t understand sharing this with her followers before anything is decided on. From what she has said about her ex, there is likely to be a bit of a battle and he has his profession on his side to know all the ways to make it difficult for her to move their children to the other side of the world. She seems to do a lot of her visits solo, who says her children want to leave and start a new life in a place they barely know?!
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Well this is a development. It sounds vague and more of a wish at this point? I can’t quite work it out from the language she uses. If her ex doesn’t agree, I am pretty sure this application would have almost no chance of succeeding in family court. He has joint custody and the court always prioritizes the best interests of the children and usually that means a continuing relationship with both parents. It is extremely difficult to move abroad with kids when the other parent objects. I do feel sorry for her, she is clearly so homesick and a fish out of water in London.
There was a recent court case between an American woman and her Brit husband. They had their children in the UK but when the marriage broke down she wanted to move back to the US. She stressed how her support system was in the US and how depressed she was. The husband (rightfully) stressed the same on his side. She was allowed to move home with the kids despite them never living there. Seemed very unfair but it does happen.
Ugh, I hate the whole mama bear thing. What's mama bear about dragging your children half way across the world, away from their father? Surely they're not a great age to move too, not to an entirely different education system. And surely if the kids wanted to move then they'd go with her when she visits...I mean, when was the last time they went to America?
I do feel for her that she misses her home but maybe if she actually got a full time job she would have more to distract her and less time to wallow. I mean, how is she going to afford America, surely the ex won't be funding such a move, she'd have to work so many hours, she's better off here really!
I do feel for her that she misses her home but maybe if she actually got a full time job she would have more to distract her and less time to wallow. I mean, how is she going to afford America, surely the ex won't be funding such a move, she'd have to work so many hours, she's better off here really!
It must be so hard because despite everything she feels, ultimately it comes down to putting the kids first. Do they support this I wonder? I’d be surprised as not only is their dad here but their whole lives are too - school, friends etc. I don’t think there’s an easy answer but her using terms like ‘mama bear’ imply she’s doing it for the kids 
I really really feel for her as she clearly doesn’t enjoy London living and is desperate to get back to US. I don’t think, from what I can deduce, that London living suits her and her approach to life. I feel like she would prefer to be somewhere with a slower pace of life.
Howevrer, I also get the sense that her ex is super hands on and has the children at least 50% of the time, so how is this going to work? He is the main income earner between them and is no doubt paying for them to be in private school.
How would this work legally?
Howevrer, I also get the sense that her ex is super hands on and has the children at least 50% of the time, so how is this going to work? He is the main income earner between them and is no doubt paying for them to be in private school.
How would this work legally?
Apparently the ex is also American and his family are also in Seattle, so maybe she will be successful.
Fighting these things can get dreadfully expensive especially when the other party can possibly argue their own case.
Maybe she was posting on social media as a warning shot to the ex?!
Fighting these things can get dreadfully expensive especially when the other party can possibly argue their own case.
Maybe she was posting on social media as a warning shot to the ex?!
I politely commented asking how the dad may feel and it's been deleted, surprise surprise... obviously the only opinion allowed is 'you go mama bear.' Don't get me wrong, I can see how hard it must be for her but bloody hell, life IS hard and taking children away from their father is absolutely sinful.
I did notice comments referring to the dads feelings or rights have been swiftly deleted…
She said in the past that her ex refused to let her take the children to the US so I wonder what had changed? Or is she just on her another of her whims.
She never mentions what the children want. It’s always about her wanting to go back. They’d hardly see their dad.
She never mentions what the children want. It’s always about her wanting to go back. They’d hardly see their dad.
She will NEVER EVER get the custody of her kids if she wants to move back to the USA with them...Her ex is a lawyer and has a lot more income to fight his case than her and the few quids she has from selling a few jars of overpriced apple butter...Also it should not be too hard for him to show that she is really unstable at the moment anyone can clearly see this from just looking at her SM...She is really delusional if she thinks she will be able to move back to the USA with her kids!
I do actually worry because she's already had a few climb down moments. All of that about Claire and then having to admit that it hadn't gone the way she wanted. Now she's announced this, way before she should have...I mean, had she even told the kids/their dad before announcing it. If it all goes wrong I worry she's going to get herself into a really bad place.
Posting on her social media that she is moving back to the USA with her kids like it is a done deal is really really not a clever/mature thing to have done. Also she has been on at least three holidays to the USA this year alone and she has never thought it was a good idea then to take her kids with her so they could see their grandparents and their dad's family?!?! She is really delusional if she think a judge will allow her to separate the kids from their dad despite her claiming that they will get to see their dad's family a lot more which would be better for them according to her... Clearly seeing their dad who has a 50/50 custody at the moment is more important to the kids than seeing their dad's family more...She is really living on another planet...
Absolutely this. I mean, I can't believe that she would consider doing this. I also cannot believe how supportive the comments are. I think it's really sad how many people can't see that taking children away from their father is a bad thing and seem to think that Bethie's feelings are a good enough reason to fundamentally change everyone elses lives. I actually feel quite wound up about this, hate it when a comment gets deleted and I really want to challenge these commenters to really think about what she's suggesting.
I think if she wants to go back to the US, she might end up just having to go by herself and shouldn't have announced it publicly yet.
12 years is a long time though when only 5 were promised.
The kids have been at their schools right from the start since they started so 3/4. It's the only world they've known.
From an older post:
12 years is a long time though when only 5 were promised.
The kids have been at their schools right from the start since they started so 3/4. It's the only world they've known.
From an older post:
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I don't think she is planning and or will be moving back to the USA without her kids...I think she will have to wait for them to be 18 or at an age where they can choose for themselves with which parent they want to live...Like most decisions she seems to take lately it seems this one again haven't been thought through...
Also I guess her so called friend Claire who she said she will always be here for can forget about hungermama once she has moved back to the States?!?!?
Also I guess her so called friend Claire who she said she will always be here for can forget about hungermama once she has moved back to the States?!?!?
I agree. But then if the kids chose to stay in the UK as adults I wouldn’t have thought she’d move to the US and be so far away from them and the major life events?I don't think she is planning and or will be moving back to the USA without her kids...I think she will have to wait for them to be 18 or at an age where they can choose for themselves with which parent they want to live...Like most decisions she seems to take lately it seems this one again haven't been thought through...
Also I guess her so called friend Claire who she said she will always be here for can forget about hungermama once she has moved back to the States?!?!?
She’s quite a baffling person.
She’s hoping she can convince her ex to also move back to the US (given he’s American too) and will transfer with his firm. There is no way he will agree to her taking them to the US. If it happens it will be because he goes too.
Perhaps this is actually what she is thinking? That she can wear him down? Because I’d assume she does know that there is very little chance of succeeding in court.
She must feel like her ex “trapped” her in the UK (which he sort of did…) this is such a cautionary tale about never moving abroad with / to have children unless your relationship is rock solid and your goals are completely aligned
Actually she mentions in the comments that having her ex’s family in Seattle strengthens her case. It sounds like perhaps she has taken legal advice already. I wonder if she would stand a better chance than most in court- both parents American, both families where she wants to move, no family or support system in the UK, and she has long outstayed the agreed upon timeframe and has a wealthy ex who could presumably afford to travel. (That distance though!)
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Except newborns, toddlers and kids in general can rock the most solid relationships!!!! Again you can have aligned goals and principles but that too can go all out the window once you actually have kids...She must feel like her ex “trapped” her in the UK (which he sort of did…) this is such a cautionary tale about never moving abroad with / to have children unless your relationship is rock solid and your goals are completely aligned
Also I am sure if the kids were asked if they would rather see their dad or his family more they would answer their dad?!?!