Visitation Schedules And Child Resistance: What You Should Know

One of the hardest parts of divorce is often negotiating child visitation schedules and issues. One of the things that many divorced parents struggle with when it comes to visitation is a reluctant child. There are a lot of reasons why a child might be resistant to go on a scheduled visitation trip, but there are some things that you need to do if this is happening to you. Here's a look at some of the basics that you need to know about children and visitation resistance.

Can Your Child Refuse To Go?

Technically, any child could refuse to go for a scheduled visitation trip. However, that refusal doesn't mean that they don't have to go. If you allow your child to repeatedly avoid visitations, you could find yourself in front of the court facing judgment for not following the court-ordered visitation schedule.

Why Is Your Child Refusing To Go?

If you find that your child is becoming resistant to visitation times, you need to get to the bottom of the issue. Depending on the age of your child, this could be easier said than done. With children who are able to communicate, you can have a conversation with them about the problem. See if your child is willing to discuss the reason for the resistance.

Sometimes, kids can refuse to go for visitation for simple reasons, such as missing out on an event with friends or because the other parent's house doesn't have a television channel that their favorite show is on, so they don't like going because of that. These are easy situations to remedy.

If the child is resistant for bigger reasons, such as problems with the other parent, those are more complex situations.

What Does The Other Parent Have To Say?

Sit down with the other parent to find out what they think or how they feel about what's happening. After all, if the other parent finds themselves relieved or not bothered by your child's refusal to visit, the refusal may stem from feeling unwelcome or unwanted in the other parent's home. Sometimes things like this are hard for a child to articulate, but you can often figure out more of what's going on by discussing it with the other parent.

These are a few things that you need to consider about child visitation when your child doesn't seem to want to go. Talk with your family law attorney as well if you need to change the visitation schedule or if you're concerned about your child's refusal to attend a scheduled visitation.