How did you handle one parent bad-mouthing the other after a divorce?

Published May 20, 2025, 7:27 AM

Imagine this: your parents are divorced, and while you’re trying to maintain a relationship with both of them, one parent — in this case, your mom — constantly talks down about the other. It’s uncomfortable, it’s hurtful, and it puts you in the middle of something you never asked to be in.

So how do you handle it? How do you respectfully tell your parent, “Hey, I love you, but this is not okay”? And most importantly, how do you protect your mental and emotional space without adding fuel to the fire?

We got a voice note from Unathi: 

“Hi guys, so my parents are divorced. But my mom bad mouths my dad so much when I’m around her. How do I tell her to stop?”

We also spoke to Psychologist Megan Tucker had a chat with us about this. If you would like to reach her, here are her details: 

Douglasdale Therapy Centre: Admin@douglasdaletherapycentre.co.za - 0661085680