I Left My Husband Because He'd Gone Down a Dark Path. Now My 6-Year-Old Is Following Him There.

"You have to take this seriously, but it may be a little soon to try and alter your custody arrangement. You need to document this and any other incidents that suggest that your son is being exposed to attitudes and ideas that promote misogyny. If you have any examples of your ex using misogynistic language towards you, gather those, too."

"Speak to a lawyer or someone else who can provide informed advice about your legal options; if you have significant evidence of your son being negatively influenced by his father, you should make the court aware of that as soon as you can. Unfortunately, there's no guarantee that your arrangement will be changed."

"Regardless of what happens with custody going forward, you'll need to speak to your son regularly about misogyny and showing respect to women and girls-that's something all mothers need to do with their boys, but it's especially important because of his dad's influence. Use age-appropriate language to explain the existence of patriarchy and some of the nasty beliefs it informs about gender."

"Let him know that sometimes, people we love can believe things that we disagree with, that his father has some disagreeable views about the world and exactly what is wrong with those ideas. Tell him that it isn't his job to change"

Take the situation seriously and begin documenting incidents that suggest the child is being exposed to attitudes and ideas that promote misogyny. Gather any examples of the other parent's misogynistic language toward the child or caregiver. Consult a lawyer or another informed professional about legal options and, if significant evidence exists, inform the court, recognizing there is no guarantee of custody changes. Independently, speak regularly with the child about misogyny and respect for women and girls using age-appropriate language. Explain patriarchy and the harmful beliefs it informs. Emphasize that people one loves can hold disagreeable views and that the child is not responsible for changing those views.

Read at Slate Magazine