What a pickle...

[ghost25]

Hey everyone, gabe here. I'm 25 yrs old with a 4-month-old daughter through an ex. Obviously her and I ain't together any more, but I'm facing a lot of issues ranging from her not wanting to work with me re: visitation (she has sole physical custody we share joint legal custody with "reasonable parenting time" for me). I just left my previous job working basically midnights and she (when she worked) had a dayside schedule so it made it very difficult to do the whole visitation schedule how she wanted it. I quit my job literally 3 days ago and am having issues getting back to a "normal" schedule, and she refuses to work with me. She has decided what MY visitation schedule will be and if I am unable to make it when she decides, then I lose a day of visitation. In addition I am starting school.

Don't get me wrong here, I am willing to work with her, and am not trying to bad-mouth her, but successful visitation requires cooperation on both parties' behalves. She has in the past 6 months managed to turn 4 or 5 former friends against me which is affecting my depression, which of course my daughter picks up on and then wants nothing to do with me. I really have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to parenting or bonding, and she is not willing to help me at all. If I ask my daughter if she wants to go see Mommy, I get the reply, "No, it's your parenting time, You figure it out."

I'm feeling like I'm slowly losing my mind, and that I am unable to do anything right. It should be noted that in the past I fought with several rather severe episodes of depression...

Aside from getting a lawyer, does anyone have any advice I could use? Parenting tricks, techniques, ideas for what to do with my daughter for 3 hours a day 3/4 days per week? Anything at this point would probably be more than what I know now.

Thanks in advance for the help.