Legal Help When Buying and Selling Property

Legal Help When Buying and Selling Property

Recognizing And Handling Parental Alienation

by Louise Boyd

Divorce is typically painful for everyone involved, but it can be especially harmful to children. When parents go their separate ways, kids need a great deal of emotional support and care. Unfortunately some parents allow their own pain to interfere with what is best for the child. Parental alienation is a selfish way of getting back at an ex, and it can put kids under massive stress. Here are some ways to recognize parental alienation and steps you can take to fight it. 

Types of Parental Alienation

Parental alienation is marked by one parent attempting to block or restrict a child's contact with the other parent. There are several ways a parent does this. 

The alienating parent will talk negatively about the other parent in the child's presence. 

One parent will attempt to cause the child to take sides by telling the child that the other parent has done or said something wrong. This is to gain the child's loyalty and cause the child not to trust the other parent. 

The alienating parent will interfere with contact and visitation. 

An alienating parent will agree to visitation but then put road blocks in the way saying that the child is sick, there is no transportation, the child doesn't want to go, or other reasons that the visitation should be cancelled or delayed. The alienating parent may also block phone calls or mail from the other parent. 

The alienating parent will accuse the other parent of abuse or making bad parenting decisions. 

A parent who is trying to prevent a good relationship with the other parent may make serious accusations about physical, sexual, or emotional abuse and coach the child to believe and repeat these stories. 

Even if it doesn't go that far, an alienating parent will often take a normal decision out of context and treat it like bad parenting. For example, one parent may allow the child to walk to school alone and the alienating parent may label this as putting the child in danger. 

Strategies for Coping

If your child's other parent is attempting parental alienation, there are some things you can do to fight against it. 

  • Speak to an attorney. Document each incident of attempted alienation. 
  • Talk to the child about how kids need both parents in their lives.
  • Do not degrade the other parent in the child's presence or otherwise alienate the other parent. 
  • Remind the child of fun times you have had together. 
  • Don't blame or shame the child, even if you believe the child is repeating words from the alienating spouse. 
  • Take every opportunity to remind the child of your love. 

Dealing with parental alienation can be very difficult. It helps to remember that in the end, your actions speak louder than the other parent's words. For more information, visit websites like http://www.glfamilylaw.com.


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About Me

Legal Help When Buying and Selling Property

I am a real estate attorney, and I have been helping clients buy and sell property for many years. Some clients do not realize their legal obligations and options when it comes to purchasing or selling a house or land. I hope that this blog will be a way for people to get information about legal issues in real estate and what they need to know when doing business. Buying and selling property can be complicated, and all parties involved have legal obligations. Know what is expected of you, and you will be able to get the best out of your real estate transactions.