Alienated children can be rude, obnoxious, and hateful. They express and provoke great hostility. It is understandable that the target of gross mistreatment feels like responding in kind. But losing your temper with your children will just make things worse.
If your children are succumbing to divorce poison, they will be unfazed by your criticisms of their attitudes and behavior. They know that their other parent encourages and is gratified by their rejection of you. And they no longer respect you enough to care about gaining your approval.
Also, you cannot expect to win your children’s affection by fighting with them, frightening them, or telling them off. Any aggression that you show, either verbal or physical, will merely play into the hands of your ex. Your behavior will be taken out of context, blown out of proportion, and then used to justify the children’s rejection.
To learn about the seven common errors that rejected parents make, and strategies to effectively copy when your relationship with your children is being challenged, and to overcome children’s alienation, see Divorce Poison: How To Protect Your Family from Bad-mouthing and Brainwashing.