The Los Angeles county sheriff’s department is seeking Alexander Dalton, son of Oksana Grigorieva, for questioning on his mother’s relationship with Mel Gibson, TMZ reported last week. The department believes that Dalton, Grigorieva’s son with actor Tim Dalton, will be able to give critical evidence about the fights between Gibson and his mother.
How can a child be protected from parental problems?
Cupid’s Advice:
Grigorieva and Gibson’s fights have been public due to the release of recordings by RadarOnline.com, but until now, the fight has not involved anyone outside the couple. It’s important to separate the the legal issues for the benefit of the family, and the quality of life of the children.
1. Keep it professional: Even if a child gets involved in the legal matters, it’s important that those matters are kept within a legal setting. Don’t discuss them at home, or bring them up when talking about other things.
2. Leverage: As in, don’t use it. Fights between parents should never be used as a bargaining tool to play the child against a mother or father. The kid isn’t a pawn in the parents’ problems and situations.
3. Allow for distance: If it looks like a child is being taken advantage of, or used to tip the scales in one person’s favor over the other, it is up to another family member, or close friend who is aware of the situation, to step in and remove the child. Whether it’s staying with grandparents for awhile, or just getting them out of the house, it’s important that the kids have their own space.
