My 8 year old came back from her moms and said that his mom said I quote left because I didn't love them enough. I'm furious. I have them 50/50 and I bust my ass to be there. The custody order says we can't bad mouth each other but she's doing it anyway. Do I lawyer up again? I'm already paying 1200 a month in support and I'm exhausted by this. How do other guys handle this?
That's rough and honestly infuriating. I'd be documenting those comments and talking to your custody lawyer about it. At 8 years old, he doesn't deserve to carry that kind of guilt about your split.
That's parental alienation and it's not okay. You might need to have a serious conversation with the ex about what she's saying to the kids, or get your lawyer involved. Your relationship with your 8 year old is what matters most right now.
This is rough and I'm sorry you're dealing with it. Document everything your kids say and keep it factual, not emotional. Your lawyer needs to know about this kind of alienation. Don't bad mouth her to the kids though, no matter how much you want to.
This is serious and you need to address it now before it gets worse. That's straight up parental alienation and it damages kids. Get your lawyer involved and also consider family therapy where your kid can hear from a professional that what they're being told isn't the truth.
Have you thought about asking for a therapist as part of your custody agreement? Not for punishment, but so your kid has a neutral place to talk through what they're hearing. Helps them separate facts from anger.
Man I'm sorry. That's a lie that cuts deep. The best thing you can do is stay consistent, be present, and let your actions speak for themselves. Your kid will figure out the truth as they get older. Right now you just show up.
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That's heartbreaking man. I've been through similar stuff with my kids and honestly the best response is showing up consistently and being the dad they know you are. Kids figure things out as they get older. Keep being present.
An 8 year old repeating something their mom said word for word is a red flag. Make sure you're having calm conversations with your kid about what really happened, not correcting them but letting them know your truth. It matters.