Dad banned from forcing children to eat all their dinner and interrogating daughter about school reports

A father has been prohibited from interrogating his teenage daughter about her school reports. The Family Court of Australia also banned the father from forcing his children to eat all the food he provides for them at meal times. A pair of divorced parents went to court over arrangements for their children, now aged 13 and 11.

The court heard that the 13-year-old girl has an intellectual disability, an IQ significantly below average and is behind in her education. Her younger brother is a gifted student. The mother said the father was in denial that their daughter had a severe disorder. She asked the court to order him not to interrogate the teen about school reports in order to prevent damage to her self-esteem. The mother told the court the father brought the children together and went through their reports and his daughter did not like it.



"The process took, it seems, over an hour and lacked an understanding of the differences between the children's ability and the need, particularly of (the daughter) to have positive reinforcement of any achievement no matter how small," Family Court Justice Stuart Fowler said. In a judgment published last week, Justice Fowler ordered that the father be allowed to get copies of the children's reports but restrained him from discussing the daughter's reports and progress at school with her. "The father is only permitted to discuss the school reports and progress of (the daughter) with the mother or the schoolteachers."

The mother told the court the father forced the children to eat, while she did not believe that was the way to deal with them. "It was reported to her by her daughter that 'Dad yelled at me because I wouldn't eat all my dinner'," Justice Fowler said. As well as restraining him from forcing the children to eat, Justice Fowler ordered that the father not abuse the children, not physically discipline them, not insist they do tasks beyond their capabilities nor smoke or drink in front of them. The father has lodged an appeal.