Fathers may get a bad rep after divorce. Their schedules, whether they work in the military or elsewhere, may not give them the freedom to see their children as often as they would like.
Providing for children should not taint their view of either parent. If you are a father who has felt like their children’s mother is turning them against you, we want you to know there are steps you can take to undo the damage. Parental alienation occurs too frequently when a contentious divorce leads to bitterness. Take a look at some ways you can battle back and win the war for your children.
Refute untruths
Children are natural sponges and soak up the information they hear and see. In parental alienation, lying about the intentions and actions of the absent parent is key to the offending parent winning the children’s loyalty. When your children express these lies, refute them in a reasonable manner.
Encourage transparency
If your kids do not feel comfortable coming to you with problems, they may not reveal toxic behavior. Reinforce your presence and that they should come to you with anything that may arise from what happens at the other house. Keep your emotions in check, as they will not talk if it leads to anger and hostility.
Show up
Some relationships between children and fathers become too strained before the truth comes out. Children may not visit or make doing so impossible. Regardless, you should keep showing up for visitation. Even if the result is a conversation at the door, do not give up. Doing so will only feed the legitimacy of the toxic parent’s words.
Parental alienation affects the short and long-term relationships between fathers and children. Preserving this relationship is critical. Continue to our website for more information on this and other family law issues.