As a Colorado parent in a divorce or custody battle, you may have engaged in parental alienation without even realizing it. That is because there are varying degrees of parental alienation. You may be wondering, what exactly is parental alienation? According to Psychology Today, parental alienation is, “a set of strategies that parents use to undermine and interfere with a child’s relationship with his or her other parent.” Just how intentional or often this behavior is occurring can affect the severity of parental alienation.
Being Mindful of What You May Be Portraying
An example of perhaps a lower degree of parental alienation and likely unintentional would be perhaps a passive comment about the other parent. “Oh, your father never has time for me.” While this may not be directed to your child, it could imply a negative attitude overall to your child. While no parent is perfect and the stresses of divorce only add to the difficult and important role of being a parent, at the very least being mindful will benefit your child’s emotional well-being overall.
Why is this so important? The emotional health of your child is very critical during and after a divorce or custody proceeding. Furthermore, repeated parental alienation especially in the severe form is considered emotional abuse. This type of parental alienation includes a parent making the child feel as though he or she is the only one who actually cares and loves for the child. Another example is making the child believe the other parent is dangerous (many times under false pretenses). These are all serious types of behavior that can impact the emotional well-being of a child.
If you believe the other parent in your child custody or divorce case is engaging in parental alienation, it is very important that you consult with an experienced divorce attorney in Colorado. Taking the right legal action starts with a seasoned family law lawyer.