I’m in a tough situation with my ex. We have a 6-year-old and share 50/50 custody with joint decision-making. My ex filed a motion to modify our agreement last year, asking for me to only have our child every other weekend based on some false allegations against my 9-year-old son that she got our 6-year-old to repeat.
We finally have a court date for that motion to modify, but she’s been withholding our child for the past 5 months, claiming more false allegations against my stepdaughter this time.
Is it common for one parent to make their child lie? A Child and Family Investigator (CFI) already found that the child has a tendency to lie and create stories in both households. Our child even told the CFI that my ex tells her to lie and rewards her for doing it.
What are the chances my ex will get what she wants and leave me with only every other weekend?
Document everything. Keep a calendar of all the dates she’s withheld time according to the agreement, and keep a running count of missed overnights. Get all the text messages where she’s refused parenting time. If you asked for phone or video contact with the child and she said no, document each time that happens.
When you talk to your child, stick to kid stuff—don’t bring up adult issues or court stuff. Try to communicate with mom only through text, email, or a court-approved app. If she didn’t inform you about any doctor visits, educational decisions, or major stuff, make sure to get those records and note it down. Like, if she made a well-child appointment and didn’t give you a heads-up so you could be there, or didn’t fill you in afterward about what the doctor said, you should bring that info to court. She’s not helping your kid maintain a relationship with you, and that’s important…
Kids have been lying to each other and even themselves forever, and it doesn’t take much to get them to do it. Anyone who’s been around kids for a while knows this…