Children are hurt by the communication “games” parent’s play.

• Games put children in the middle of parent disputes
• Games happen because of unresolved issues between parents.
• Parents need to deal with their emotions and have a new, business-like way of communicating with the other parent.
• Move your focus from your relationship with the other parent to a focus on your children’s needs. Take the focus away from your feelings.
• Keep your feelings about your former partner separate from your child’s feelings.  Focus on helping them in their job of building their relationship with the other parent.

We have already seen the “Put Down Game”, “The Nasty Trap” and “The Messenger Trap”. But there are other communication games that some parents play. On the next screen you will see a list of parenting games, with a brief description of each one. It is important to understand the games parents may play.