Parental alienation occurs when a parent influences a child to reject the other parent without justifiable cause. This may occur through actions such as pressure or constant criticism and often results in the destruction of the parent-child relationship.
If parental alienation occurs in their families, people may wonder what they can do to help their situations. These tips may help them begin to recover.
Practice compassion
According to Psychology Today, ostracized parents in parental alienation situations should avoid taking their frustrations out on their children. Instead, when dealing with their children, it often best serves them to remain calm and express only kindness. This may help avoid further damaging the relationship and contradict the messages sent by the alienating parent.
Seek help
Ostracized parents often feel ranging emotions, including sadness and anger. To help process their experiences, many going through parental alienation situations find it helpful to turn to family, friends, support groups and mental health professionals for support.
Limit time with the alienating parent
According to Psychiatric Times, stopping the behavior plays a vital role in families recovering from parental alienation. To this end, parents may seek assistance from the court to modify their custody arrangements to reduce or end the child’s time with the alienating parent, or to require supervised visitation.
Parental alienation may have devastating effects on parents, children and extended families. If people believe their child’s other parents have taken their feelings too far, they may consider working with a family law attorney to understand their options for protecting their rights and those of their children.