Parental alienation is when one parent deliberately tries to make their child reject the other parent. It deteriorates the parent-child relationship through manipulation and negativity.
Parental alienation is not a crime, but it is relevant to custody decisions. If you suspect parental alienation, gather as much evidence of the behavior as possible so that you can use it in custody hearings as it is difficult to prove.
Take notes
The rejection coming from your children may present as hatred or fear of you for no reason. Any time you witness bad behavior from your ex or experience a concerning shift in your children’s attitude towards you after being with or speaking with your ex, write it down. Maintain a list of every date with details of what happened so that you have a record of the behavior.
Talk to witnesses
Talk to other adults who have regular interaction with your children and may hear the negative things your ex or your children say about you. Teachers, bus drivers, parents of children’s friends, sports coaches and any other trusted adults may have witnessed the negativity and manipulation coming from your ex. Ask them to write down what they witnessed.
Save all written communications
Save and print out all emails, texts and social media interactions between your ex and your children. Communicate with your ex through written communication like texts and email as often as possible so that you have a record of every time you ask to see your children and your ex denies you access.
Parental alienation can cause long-term emotional damage to your children and ruin your relationship with them. Take action as soon as you suspect this dangerous, manipulative behavior from your former partner.
