When faced with the stress of your child’s desire to live with the other
parent, there are a few things you should always avoid, or you may ostracize
yourself from your child for good:
Never tell your child that
if they live with the other parent, they will never see you again – that
is just plain dirty and can even be considered mentally abusive.
Don’t ignore your child’s
desire to move in with the other parent and hope they will just get over
it – doing so may cause your child to quit opening up to you – something
that can lead to bigger issues in the future.
Never tell your child how
worthless or irresponsible their other parent is – if they are
irresponsible your child will realize that on their own – it’s not your
place to degrade the other parent.
Avoid guilt trips at all
costs – yes, it may break your heart, and you can let your child know that
you will have to grow accustomed to not having them around on a full-time
basis– but that sort of manipulation will eventually build up resentment
and your child will see it as a control tactic, which may strain your
relationship in the future.
Don’t allow your child to
live with the other parent to teach them a lesson – do it for the right
reasons.
Never allow your child to
live with a parent who is unfit, no matter the circumstances – if you know
that the other parent is engaged in illegal activities or a lifestyle not
conducive to raising a child – then as a responsible parent, you must
override the child’s decision to live there.