Question 2: My ex-husband has completely different rules at his house. He lets my 14 year old daughter do whatever she wants and I’m afraid that she’s going to get into trouble. What can I do?
Question 2: My ex-husband has completely different rules at his house. He lets my 14 year old daughter do whatever she wants and I’m afraid that she’s going to get into trouble. What can I do?
Unfortunately, this is a common scenario for mothers and fathers as well. Often one parent sets rules and boundaries and for many reasons (sometimes simply to sabotage the stricter parent) an ex husband or ex wife will abandon all rules and let kids do whatever they want. If you are in this situation, take heart, there are a few things that you can do and that you should know.
First, never criticize your ex in front of your kids. If you are very angry, rant to a friend, not to the kids. This always backfires and ultimately drives the child away from you because when you criticize your ex husband, the child becomes very defensive about him. You need to allow her to feel free to talk to you about her Dad.