Going through a divorce is traumatic for children who are involved. They will count on both parents to provide them with love and support as they adjust to the new way of life.
Sometimes, children don’t find that mutual love and support from both parents. Instead, they might have to deal with one parent trying to turn them against the other parent. This is known as parental alienation, and it’s incredibly damaging to the children involved.
Children may not realize what’s going on
Children usually have a trusting relationship with their parents. They may not realize when one parent is trying to turn them against the other parent. It’s often seen as brainwashing the child. This is often accomplished with lies and other false statements.
It’s often difficult to notice the signs of parental alienation at first, and it’s usually even more difficult to get proof of it.
- Child suddenly doesn’t want anything to do with you
- Child doesn’t feel bad for being mean to the alienated parent
- Child supports the parent who’s alienating the other parent
- Child denies that they were provided information by the alienating parent
- Child also has a sense of hate for members of the alienated parent’s family
Other signs might also be present, so you should ensure that you’re paying close attention to what’s going on.
Alienated parents should be cautious about what they say and do
Being the parent who’s being alienated is heartbreaking because you just want a meaningful relationship with your children. While you can’t control your ex’s behavior, you can control your own. Be sure that you aren’t saying or doing anything that can be used against you in court. There’s a good chance that you’ll need to take legal action to address the parental alienation, so you don’t want anything that could work against you.
Making sure that you have everything in order in the parenting plan is crucial. Ideally, this will be set by you and your ex. Litigation might be necessary; however, the child’s best interests still have to be considered. If parental alienation is a factor, you may have to go back to court to address that matter.