Sharing custody

My sons father wants to take him away for 5 days. He is three and we have never been apart for more than 2 days. I know he is allowed to take him. Emotionally I am not ready. I still want to be part of everything my son does. It kills me that I will have to miss out on these things. I feel like I have always put my son first, his father on the other hand is so selfish. But still I have to be away from him. It sucks. How do other single parents do it? Any advice would be great.

We all understand your need to bond with your son. However, your son also needs to bond with his father. You say your son's father is selfish. If his father spends 5 days taking care of his son he'll learn to be less selfish. In the meantime, the 5 days will be a great time for YOU to work on those hobbies you may not have had time to do because you have been busy with your son. Make arrangements to spend time with your friends and other family members since you will not be otherwise occupied by your child. During those 5 days you don't have to put your son first, you get to do what you want. Take advantage. Years from now you will be very glad you made sure your son has a great relationship with his father and will be grateful for some time alone while he visits with his dad. Set a good example now.