What Does Your Decree Say?
If your decree does not address this issue—and there’s a good chance that it doesn’t—you are likely free to talk about politics around your children. However, if you’re not divorced yet, you could probably get that put into your decree if you foresee it causing an issue. Theoretically speaking, you can put anything you want in your decree as long as your spouse will agree to it. For example, some people may have it in their decree that their spouse is not able to discuss religious beliefs with the child. While you could probably have it in your decree that the child subscribes to a certain political party, such a clause would likely be point given that minor children cannot vote or participate in politics in any meaningful way.
Racism, Misogyny, and Conspiracy Theories
So, yes, your ex can talk to the kids about their political beliefs. But what if those political beliefs are blatantly racist or openly misogynistic? What about conspiracy theories that are demonstrably false, such as the Earth being flat or the Holocaust being a fabrication? In the United States, parents have the right to raise their children however they see fit. So, if a parent wants to raise children to become genuinely their children to believe that the Earth is flat, they have the right to do that. However, if you and your spouse are divorced, instilling offensive beliefs in a child may cause a lot of conflict—after all, what if you don’t want your child denying the moon landing or believing in bigfoot, but your ex believes in these theories and discusses them constantly?
Causing Conflict
It’s unfortunate but some parents do like to use their children as pawns in their political agendas and/or pawns in upsetting the other parent to the highest degree. If your ex is sharing ideas with your child that you do not agree with, it’s important that you don’t do anything that will add conflict to the co-parenting relationship or alienate the child from their other parent. You can present your beliefs to your child in a way that doesn’t disrespect the other parent, or make your child feel as though s/he has to choose sides. Parents sometimes intentionally disclose their political beliefs in a way that is guaranteed to upset their significant other in order to cause conflict and/or alienate the child. Make sure you don’t fuel the fire by causing more conflict.
Keeping the Peace
If sharing your political beliefs has upset your ex, you may want to do what you can to keep the peace. While it may feel uncomfortable to be “censored” in front of your child, it may be in your child’s best interests if their other parent is going to make an issue out of your sharing your political beliefs with your child. Nobody likes to be told what to do by their ex, but you may have to put that aside so that there’s less tension and conflict within the co-parenting relationship. If this is an issue within your family, make sure that you’re not fueling the fire. Don’t bring up politics with your children, especially with the intent to upset your ex. Do not play entertainment news, or other politically charged media while your child is at your place. Make sure that you always speak of your ex in a respectful manner when the children are present.
Can Anything Be Done?
There isn’t much that can be done when a child is being radicalized by their parents. However, if your child is put into harm’s way because of the parent’s political beliefs, then something may be done. For example, if your ex takes your child to violent protests in the name of activism, you may have success when addressing the issue in court. However, a parent simply telling the child which candidate s/he voted for and their reasoning behind that does not typically constitute putting the child in harm’s way. Neither does teaching the child that the Earth is flat or that the moon does not exist. So, unless your child is being exposed to bodily danger by your ex’s political beliefs, there may not be much you can do to stop them from sharing their beliefs with the child. In some cases, certain beliefs can cause emotional damage to a child–though it would likely need to be pretty significant in order for the court to get involved.
When You’re Going through Divorce
If you’re considering getting a divorce, CoilLaw is here for you. Our attorneys are dedicated to helping our clients get the best outcome possible during the divorce process. If you’re considering divorce, contact CoilLaw today to get started on your initial consultation.
