As lousy as a mother may be to her child, the child wants to be with the mother, every time. I am adopted and many of the underlying issues I have are due to anger and depression from being taken away from my birth mother.
This is a mess for sure, fueled by selfishness on the part of both of the parents—the dad for taking the daughter away from the mother and the mom for maybe not being the best mother she could have been.
Simplify your lives, parents, and love your children in every way you know how. The hard work and sacrifices now pay large dividends in the future. I guarantee it. And so does He.
The "stealing" parent care nothing for those children and only for their selfish interests (witness Solomon and the "two mothers" and his declaring to "split the baby in half." The "false parent" was content to do just that while the "real parent" wished to spare the baby and to give it to the other "mother.")
You may read my own story below.
The child does not want to be with the mother every time. What an idiotic thing to say.
I was asked by the judge who I wanted to be with. I said my father.