Reconnecting With a Child After Estrangement

Divorce is a difficult time for everyone involved, and a time where many things change. After divorce, people relocate, start new careers and new relationships, and may undergo transformations in life outlook and goals. Clearly these shifts in direction affect more than just the parties getting divorced; the children have a lot of things to deal with, too.

While it’s very possible for both parents to maintain strong bonds with their children following a divorce and all parents should strive to do so, sometimes circumstances lead to estrangement.

Estrangement can happen because of: 

• parental mistakes;
• parental alienation syndrome;
• financial crisis; and
• distance.

A Few Tips for Reconnecting With a Child

Take it slow. The parent and child have a lot of catching up to do, but trying to do it all at once can be overwhelming for both. If the child decides he or she wants to cut a day short and spend some time alone, don’t push for more quality time. Repetition in care and spending time together will pay dividends later.

Don’t dwell on the past. Maybe the estrangement from the child was because of some mistakes on your part or animosity between you and an ex-spouse. There are times to work through these painful issues, but try not to let them crowd out the efforts to reconnect. As the adult, it will be your job to keep efforts focused on the future and fun.

Show your commitment. You child will want to know that you are serious about staying in his or her life. Setting a visitation schedule and keeping in frequent contact via phone, e-mail, and/or video messaging can help keep your bonds strong and build a good foundation for the future of the relationship.

If you haven’t done so already, taking legal steps to obtain or exercise visitation and custody rights with your child can go a long way toward re-establishing your relationship. If you are seeking to file for custody or visitation, or you feel you need to modify an existing parenting plan, contact a child custody attorney at Warren & Migliaccio in Texas today.