When two adults want to end a romantic relationship, they might simply call it quits and cut ties. And if they are married, they might want to formalize things by going through the divorce process. However, if there are kids involved, then things are bound to get a bit complex.
While having a child can be one of the most fulfilling life experiences, it can also be stressful if you are not getting along with your co-parent. It is not uncommon for the stresses of divorce to spiral out of control and bring to light the worst side of people. One way this happens is when one parent decides to alienate the child from the other parent. But how does parental alienation happen?
Here are two questions that can help you determine if your ex is alienating you from your child.
Is your ex forcing the child to lie?
One of the tactics parents use to gain an upper hand during a custody dispute is to get the child to make false claims against the other parent. They might feed the child falsehoods like how the other parent’s actions lead to the family breakdown or how the other parent hates them. The more the child is told these lies, the more they are likely to believe them.
Is the child acting angry and hostile?
These falsehoods can lead the child to start acting out against the alienated parent. Remember, kids are relatively easy to manipulate, and if they believe the other parent does not love them, they might start acting indifferent toward them. For instance, if the child is acting up during visitations, or refusing to spend time with you altogether, you need to find out what is going on.
Parental alienation hurts the child and the alienated parent. Find out how you can safeguard your rights and your child’s best interests if your ex is turning your child against you.
