After divorce, falling into a parenting time rhythm may take some time for you and your children. If it never starts working, you may want to step back and evaluate whether your former spouse is doing something to influence things.
While it is possible to move forward and co-parent successfully after divorce, that hinges on how you and your ex parted ways. If there is animosity or anger, your ex may want to punish you by getting the children to align loyalties against you.
Have the kids stopped wanting to come over?
There will come moments when visitation schedules do not align, and you may need to switch. If this happens too often and is not in your favor, you may have to stop bending over to meet these changes. Children may not want to come over if you have a reputation for “hurting” the parent with which they have aligned. To them, visiting you may feel like a betrayal to that other parent.
Do they know more than they should about the divorce?
While divorce impacts children, the details of it are not a factor when it comes to them. When children seem to know more about the events of your former relationship, it shows that the other parent is oversharing. This often involves inaccurate information, which will make you look like the villain in the relationship and divorce.
Kids of every age are susceptible to psychological manipulation by a parent. Remain diligent and involved in their lives to ensure you can spot the signs and stop the behavior, even if it means asking the court to intervene.