A parent asserts sole decision-making authority over a child's life, denying the other parent any say
Premiumintermediate8 minutes
The Situation
What They Said
“I am the parent — I decide everything about this child's life. You are just the other parent; you will do as I say.”
This phrase is used by a separated or divorced parent who attempts to override the other parent's parental rights by asserting sole authority over all decisions about the child — schooling, healthcare, religion, activities — without consultation or agreement.
The Fallacy
Appeal to Authority / Parental Hierarchy
This argument assumes that being a parent grants unilateral decision-making power over a child, while diminishing the other parent's role to passive compliance. This contradicts the legal principle that both parents have equal parental responsibilities and rights unless a court determines otherwise. It also perpetuates the fallacy that one parent has inherently superior parental authority over the other.
What the Law Says
Your Legal Foundation
Código Civil y Comercial de la Nación
art. 638 del Código Civil y Comercial — Parental responsibility shared
“Parental responsibility is the set of duties and rights that correspond to both parents over the person and property of the child, for their protection, development, and integral formation while they are a minor and have not been emancipated.”
This law establishes that parental responsibility is shared by both parents, not solely the father. Therefore, the father cannot unilaterally decide everything about the child's life; he must consult and agree with the mother on important matters.
What Scripture Says
God's Word on This
Ephesians 6:1-2 (NET)
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 'Honor your father and your mother,' which is the first commandment accompanied by a promise.”
Scripture addresses children's duty to both parents — 'parents' is plural and gender-inclusive. Both parents are honoured as parental authority figures, not one at the expense of the other.
Proverbs 1:8 (NET)
“Listen, my child, to the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother.”
Wisdom literature presents both parents' instruction and teaching as equally valuable — the dismissal of one parent's voice in parenting has no scriptural basis.
🔒
You Know the Law — But Do You Know What to Say?
Reading your rights is one thing. Using them under pressure — calmly, correctly, in the right words — is what actually protects you. Members get the scripted rebuttal for this exact situation: what to say first, what to say if they push back, the tone to use, and the constitutional provision to cite. Practise out loud with audio until it's automatic.