"My mother has never been particularly fond of my wife, "Ellen." Recently, at my father's birthday party, she got drunk in front everyone-including me, Ellen, and our two kids (5 and 11)-and shouted out a wild accusation. She said that that Ellen "probably screwed around" and that our kids are not mine! We left immediately and haven't spoken to my mother since, but the damage has been done."
"The only reason for a DNA test would be if you had some sort of doubt regarding the paternity of your children. If you don't, you shouldn't dignify your mother's ignorance with such drastic measures. Getting the test suggests that your mom's words should be taken seriously (unless there's context that you've left out). Let your son know that you and your wife are both completely confident that you are your kids' biological father and that he shouldn't pay any attention to your mother's behavior."
A grandmother drunkenly accused a daughter-in-law of infidelity and claimed the grandchildren were not biologically related to their father. The family left the event immediately and cut off contact with the grandmother, but the accusation sowed doubt in the eleven-year-old. Parents who have no personal doubt about paternity should avoid validating a malicious accusation by submitting to DNA testing. Parents should clearly condemn the grandmother's behavior, reassure the children of parental confidence in paternity, protect the spouse from ongoing antagonism, and address the older child's questions directly to restore security and trust.
Read at Slate Magazine
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]