Parental alienation has long since served as a tool for bitter individuals during the divorce process. With manipulative tactics and more, a parent can turn their own child against their co-parent.
It is important to keep a close eye on tactics that may potentially relate to parental alienation, as it is the best way to save a parent-child relationship that might otherwise undergo threat.
A sudden lack of engagement
Forbes discusses parental alienation as a major problem between divorcing couples. One of the biggest red flags of potential parental alienation is a sudden lack of engagement either from your child or co-parent.
For example, you may notice fewer invitations to things like parent-teacher meetings as your co-parent attempts to bump you out of the know.
Likewise, your children may seem to have less of a desire to integrate into your life or want your involvement in theirs.
Less positive interactions
Along those lines, keep an eye out for how your child interacts with you in general. They may seem more tense or reluctant to spend time with you. They might also ask you questions about whether or not you actually want them around, due to lies or misdirection by your co-parent.
Worsening temperament
Finally, know that bursts of anger and other temperamental behaviors are not unusual for children going through a traumatic situation like divorce. However, if these outbursts happen with increasing frequency or intensity, it may point to an underlying problem, such as lies told by a co-parent.
Fortunately, getting to the root of these changes may potentially allow you to salvage your relationship and undo the damage done.