My ex-wife won’t let me discipline our son for hitting his sister

DEAR DEIDRE: WHEN my son hit my daughter, I was horrified, but my ex-wife refused to let me discipline him properly.

Since we split, she has made it almost impossible for me to have a relationship with my children.

We have been divorced for three years. I’m 45, she’s 42 and we have a son aged 12 and a daughter who is seven.

The kids stay with me every other weekend. My son often picks on my daughter and last weekend, he punched her in the stomach.

I don’t want him thinking it’s ever OK to hit a girl. I tried talking to him, and told him there would be no computer games or TV.

But he rang his mum and instead of backing me up, she got in her car and drove down to take them both home.

My ex now says she is not sure she will let the kids stay again.

DEIDRE SAYS: The resentment divorced parents feel towards each other can negatively affect their behaviour with the kids.

Try talking to your ex calmly. See if you can agree to some shared rules and boundaries for your children.

The charity Family Lives (0808 800 2222, familylives.org.uk) can help with parenting problems.

Find support too through Families Need Fathers (fnf.org.uk, 0300 0300 363).