Can I get in trouble for not letting my child call my ex during a tantrum?

Seeking Advice
1

I’m reading mixed responses online about this and was hoping someone could clarify. My daughter (10) was being disrespectful and not listening to what I asked her to do. We were working on a project that was supposed to be fun, but she got upset and threw a tantrum. I told her to go to her room and get ready for bed. She refused and started crying, pounding the floor, and demanding to call her mother, my ex-wife. I told her she could call her in the morning when she was calm, but she needed to go to bed now. The next morning, everything was fine, and she even said she was ashamed of her actions. I let her know she could call her mom, but she didn’t want to. I also texted my ex to explain what happened, and things seemed fine until I got my daughter back this week. She told me my ex and her new husband said I must let her call them whenever she wants, or they could take me to court and get custody. This shocked me because I only texted them to be transparent, and things have been smooth between us lately. Now I’m worried. I’ve read you can get in trouble for court-ordered communications, but I don’t know if this applies to a situation like this. Does anyone have experience with this?

2

I don’t think you’d get in trouble unless there’s a specific court order about phone calls. Did you check the custody agreement?

3

Toryn said:
I don’t think you’d get in trouble unless there’s a specific court order about phone calls. Did you check the custody agreement?

Thanks for the reply! I looked at it, and there’s no mention of phone calls. Just scheduled visitation. Do you think it matters?

4

@Freya
If there’s nothing in the agreement, I doubt they have a case. Maybe they’re just trying to scare you.

5

@Freya
Agreed. Courts usually care about bigger issues, not one-off situations like this.

6

Your ex threatening court seems over the top. Have you tried talking to her directly to clear the air?

7

Eloise said:
Your ex threatening court seems over the top. Have you tried talking to her directly to clear the air?

Yeah, I might have to. I was trying to avoid drama, but this caught me off guard. I’ll reach out.

8

@Freya
Good idea. Sometimes a quick convo can fix misunderstandings. Hope it works out!

9

Honestly, it sounds like you handled the situation well. Kids throw tantrums. It’s not like you denied her forever.

10

Zen said:
Honestly, it sounds like you handled the situation well. Kids throw tantrums. It’s not like you denied her forever.

Thanks for saying that. I felt bad about it, but I wanted her to calm down first.

11

@Freya
Exactly. Parents have to set boundaries. Sounds like you’re doing your best.

12

What did your daughter mean by ‘they can take you to court’? Did they really tell her that directly?

13

Bran said:
What did your daughter mean by ‘they can take you to court’? Did they really tell her that directly?

That’s what she told me. I’m not sure if they were serious or just trying to scare her.

14

@Freya
That’s pretty harsh if they said that to her. Kids don’t need that kind of stress.

15

If they try to push this, you could always consult a lawyer just to be safe. But it sounds like they’re bluffing.

16

Delaney said:
If they try to push this, you could always consult a lawyer just to be safe. But it sounds like they’re bluffing.

Thanks. I might look into that if things escalate. Hoping it doesn’t come to that though.

17

@Freya
Fingers crossed. Most of the time, these things blow over.