902
edits
Changes
m
→Resisting visits with a parent
These normal reasons why a child would be reluctant to see a parent can be aggravated by the unintentional conduct of each parent. Separated parents have a duty to nurture their child's relationship with the other parent. In the context of parenting time and contact, this means encouraging the child to look forward to seeing the other parent. In general, this means actively fostering the child's relationship with the other parent and refraining from making negative remarks about the other parent.
In high-conflict situations, even parents who understand this basic duty can unconsciously telegraph convey their feelings about the other parent to the child. Children are not stupid; they know something's not right. Even young children will pick up on non-verbal clues to a parent's feelings.
This sort of unintentional communication of emotion includes:
*making faces, grimacing, groaning, cringing , or shuddering when the other parent is mentioned,
*arguing with the other parent when the children can see or hear the dispute,
*making negative comments about the other parent when the children are within earshot,