don't bad mouth

No matter how bad your x is or was you should never talk bad about them in front of your children. The thing your x doesn't consider is your children are not stupid and they do grow up.
If you are bad mouthing your x your children will focus on that. If you let them do what they do and try to ignore them the best you can your better off.
My son's father did a lot to me. I never thought my son would understand. He is only sixteen and he has been on my side for years now. He sees the way his father treats me and his father is the one who looks bad. My son asks me how I can forgive his father after all he has done. I tell him because he is your father and that is the only reason.
I try to stay positive and never bad mouth his father. I use to but it didn't pay off. I find that my son is old enough to think for himself and can see what is going on. He knows his father doesn't pay me child support and he has little respect for his father. He is a teenager now and he spends most of his time with his friends. He doesn't go out of his way to see his father. That is because he is old enough to think for himself without me saying a word.
I try to defend his father, don't ask me why. I don't have to bad mouth him my son sees and hears everything now. When something happens between me and his father my son will ask me my side of the story and then he makes his own call.
All I know is my son spends time with me he doesn't with his father very often.