Living in a blended family can be difficult for several reasons. This is a stepparent who is unsure of what their role should be in their stepchild’s life, what boundaries should not be crossed, and how to meet challenges without unilaterally taking on the role of biological parent. This is especially true.
Despite these complexities, you may want to take action to address concerns about your stepchild’s mental and physical safety. That’s exactly what one woman did when she noticed a strange pattern in her stepson’s behavior.
One stepmother said her stepchildren had kept 20 pets and showed no remorse when they disappeared.
Post to TikTokArizona family law attorney Billy Tarascio shared a question one worried stepmother had, perfect for National Dog Day.
The stepmother wrote: “My stepchildren have experienced 20 pets in the other parent’s home that we know of. Everything from birds to bearded dragons to dogs. When they first got these pets, They wreak havoc everywhere, but then the worst thing is that pets seem to die, get lost, or wander, and my stepchildren feel remorse and sadness for losing their pets. That’s not shown at all.”
The stepmother was concerned about her stepchildren’s mental state and expressed concern about the mother’s outward “outspoken attitude” and how this was affecting the children’s emotional states. She also wonders how a matter of this magnitude will play out in court.
Tarascio says judges don’t get into the other parent’s mental state.
While some might expect this to happen, Tarascio said judges typically do not consider the lifestyle or mental state of the other parent unless there are signs of abuse or neglect of the child, or in this case, the pet. He says he will not be involved.
Tarascio said: [an] An irresponsible animal owner will not influence how a judge feels about a particular parent. ”
Many people speculate that there may be signs of a toxic home.
Caring for a pet and caring for a child are experiences that share several similarities, including time, patience, routine, empathy, and financial responsibility, leading some to feel that the two are related.
Users claim there is a correlation between raising children and caring for animals, writing: [correlation] The way you take care of a pet is different from the way you take care of a child. Irresponsibility is rampant across the board. ”
Another claimed that the custodial mother in question may be emotionally manipulating the children through animals, saying, “The children are conditioned to be afraid to love anything other than their mother.” “This is animal abuse and child abuse.”
Along these lines, another commenter believed that the children’s lack of remorse could be the result of poor parenting, adding: [we] I love them and they deserve it. ”
In this situation, the entire family court system is flawed.
It is easy to simplify the problem by choosing a reason that, based on the information presented, can explain why a child in this situation would react this way. However, the reality may be more complicated than that.
But without the right resources, especially the help of the family court system, your options are very limited.
According to Barry GoldsteinAn author, speaker, and consultant in domestic violence and child abuse cases, he says one of the many problems with the family court system is that it doesn’t keep research up to date.
Unlike in the past, Goldstein said, “While we now have a plethora of findings from the most reliable sources, most courts find it difficult to recognize and respond to true reports of abuse.” There have been delays in consolidating the findings to make progress.”
In other words, without the right tools, research, and due diligence, we have a long way to go before we see any signs of reform.
Xiomara Demarchi is a New York-based writer and frequent contributor to YourTango’s news and entertainment team.Stay informed Instagram.