When a couple decides to end their marriage, resentment and harsh feelings might lead one parent to engage in activities that impact the relationship between the children and the other parent. Collectively known as parental alienation, these emotionally manipulative tactics may convince the kids that one parent is bad while the other is good.
Parental alienation happens when one or both parents engage in malicious techniques to create a rift between the children and the other parent. The perpetrator may use fear or lies to achieve their goal. No matter the motivation it is important to understand that parental alienation can have a lasting impact on the child. It can also hurt your custody case.
Here is what you need to do to prove parental alienation.
Look out for the warning signs
Certain behavioral changes in your child’s attitude could be telltale signs of parental alienation. Understanding the type of alienation the other parent is practicing can help you recognize the signs much faster. For instance, is the child reluctant to visit or stay with you? Does the child use coded messages or signals when communicating with the other parent in your presence? Is the child under instruction not to share with you what they did while with the other parent? Even if all they did was a simple act of going to a movie, the fact that your ex is instructing them not to share this with you is evidence of parental alienation.
Document the changes in the child’s behavior
You need evidence to prove your parental alienation claims. It is important that you keep a journal of your child’s interactions with the other parent. Your documentation of what happened will be critical in proving parental alienation, which ideally means disproving the other parent’s accusations. Are you having trouble establishing communication with the other parent regarding your parenting plan? Note it down.
Parental alienation is a dangerous behavior with a lasting emotional and psychological impact on the children. If you believe the other parent is alienating you from your kids, it is important that you explore your legal options to address the situation.