Often a custodial or primary-care parent will use their advantage as the primary parent to alienate the children from the other parent to destroy the relationship between the children and the other parent. The loving relationship that a child once shared with two parents is destroyed by one parent seeking revenge on the other parent without any thought of what is in the best interests of the child. Damaging as well is that often the custodial parent does not even allow the children to see the grandparents of the non custodial parent for no other reason except that they are relatives of the spouse they dislike. So many parents and children are hurt. In recent years there has been a significant withdrawal in the influence that a father has on children in families of divorce.
Statistics show that most custodial parents are mothers.
Analysis of these trends result in other alarming statistics that should be of concern to everyone. Often access and visitation schedules are not flexible enough to allow children's relationships with both their parents to grow. Shared Parenting maintains the balanced input from both parents that is needed for proper development. Children as they grow must learn perspectives from both sexes to develop a normal balanced view and to be able to interact with both sexes when they reach adulthood.