The Court Gave My Estranged Mother-in-Law Access to My Kids
About this episode
Whitney Goodman discusses navigating complex family situations involving estrangement and court-mandated visits with unsafe relatives.
Content warning: This episode contains descriptions of suicidal ideation, child abuse and neglect, childhood sexual abuse, and abortion. Whitney answers two questions about accepting a family situation you never chose and never asked for. First, a mother whose family just lost a three year grandparent visitation case. She is being mandated by family court to send her children on unsupervised monthly visits with a grandmother she doesn't believe is safe. Second, a listener who has been 15 years no contact asking the question: should the adult child be apologizing for how they behaved as a kid? In this episode, you'll learn: - How to separate what the court controls from what you actually control as a parent - How to prepare a child for time with someone you don't trust, without making them afraid - Why a child's behavior during abuse is never something to apologize for - When accountability between an adult child and a parent is genuinely useful, and who has to go first Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles. Have a…
People in this episode
Host: Whitney Goodman
Topics covered
- family dynamics
- court decisions
- child safety
- estrangement
- accountability
- mental health
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Calling Home
More episodes of CALLING HOME with Whitney Goodman, LMFT
- Why Can't I Be Me When I'm With You?
- My Estrangement is Giving Me Migraines and Stomachaches
- The Lindsay Clancy Trial
- When a Parent Pulls Away
- What it’s Like On Both Sides of Estrangment With Kreed Revere
- My Parents Welcomed Their Estrangment
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