My father, who convinced me (16 m) at the time to move in with him instead of my mother when they moved. All 3 of the other siblings stayed with my mother. He then kicked me out the week I turned 18, a week into my senior year. Since then he stays in touch only to speak with his grandchildren (now going on 4 kids). I have never been anything but opportunistic and positive in our interactions. Regardless he still acts like I am a burden to talk too. Am now 37, and finally getting to the point I should accept it. I’m the complete opposite with my own children and can’t comprehend how someone could treat their child like this. How do I cope? It eats at me. I will answer any questions in depth if it will help in understanding the situation.
My advice is to stop trying to be pleasant in every interaction with him. That is fake and interacting with fake people is indeed exhausting.
Based only on what you wrote, my advice is to commit to developing authenticity rather than pleasantness.
The fact is you have reason to be upset with him. If you haven’t expressed that upset, you’re being fake.