As you take care of your children in the time after a divorce, you may start to notice some signs of bad behavior and intense fighting.
One issue that can greatly impact your life is parental alienation. When your co-parent tries to manipulate and control your children, you may not know at first that this is happening. Learning more about the signs of this problem can help you.
Mixed feelings
According to Psychology Today, a co-parent who is alone with your children can tell them lies about you. Your co-parent may tell them that the divorce was your fault or that you do not love them.
Learning about these lies can make you feel overwhelmed since you feel like you have no way to control or stop them. This can also harm your relationship with your children since it can make them hesitate to talk to you or feel close to you.
Broken communication
Children look to their parents for support, and when that support becomes conditional, your children may become nervous. This can lead to them trying to please your co-parent and feeling the need to always agree with them.
If you notice them siding with your co-parent at all times and refusing to talk to you, parental alienation may play a role. Your children may even echo negative phrases and words that your co-parent uses on a regular basis.
Lack of privacy
Your co-parent may also tell your children to spy on you when they visit you. Once you learn about this, you may feel anxious and annoyed at this invasion of privacy.
Educating yourself more about parental alienation can help you if you notice signs of this issue.