We’ve spent a lot of time on the blog talking about the damage that can be caused to children by parental alienation. There’s no doubt that such manipulative actions taken by some parents are abusive, causing significant damage to children and their relationships with their other parents.
But not all hope is lost if you think that your child has been harmed by parental alienation. Although it may not seem like it, there are steps that you can take to try to rebuild your relationship with your child and undo the damage that’s been caused. We discussed some of them previously on the blog, but this week we want to look at a few more.
Rebuilding after exposure to parental alienation
It’s important to realize what you can do, as the more you can control, the better. This includes:
- Staying patient: It’s easy to get frustrated with your child when they’re making baseless claims against you. But by remaining calm, you can continue to address the matter in a positive fashion.
- Listen to understand: Your child is going to have reasons for feeling the way that he or she feels, even if they’re not supported. By listening to your child’s opinions and wishes, though, you may be able to compromise on the time that you spend together, which can generate more trust in your relationship with your child.
- Seek more time: Rebuilding your relationship with your child is going to take time. Therefore, do everything you can to get more time with your child, even if you have to go back to court. Spending more time with your child can dispel many of the myths that have been fed to your child over time, thereby reversing some of the effects of parental alienation.
- Find help: Parental alienation still isn’t fully understood by the court system. Therefore, you may need assistance in explaining the situation and in seeking rehabilitative services for you and your child’s relationship. Don’t shy away from seeking out assistance from an expert.
The importance of legal help
Remember, your child’s other parent is going to fight you every step of the way as you try to repair the damage that’s been caused by parental alienation. That’s why it might be best for you to have a strong legal advocate on your side who can help you make the arguments that you need to appropriately address the matter and hopefully find the protection that your child needs.
