How can you tell that your child is taking on adult issues?

Anything that makes them concerned with what was only your business in happy times is not your children’s problem now. The “mutual respect” line in most divorce judgments is one sentence and not enough. You need to define what you will and won’t do as parents and put it in writing as part of your binding contract when you divorce. Most judgments of divorce have a “cover your rear” provision relating to mutual respect, but you ought to be more specific in your divorce agreement so that your hot buttons are not pressed.