Hi all, I'm new here and looking for some advice. I have been guardian of my nephew for 2 years, he is not quite 4 years old now. I am having trouble communication with his father about his development, behavior, needs, etc. What prompted me to seek help, is a 'conversation' through text today. The father has a long (since birth) history of refusing to use my nephews name. He exclusively refers to him as "the boy", "my boy", or "my son". I really believe that this is damaging to my nephews sense of self, having his father NEVER use his name. I have looked for research on this, but am coming up short, presumably because most parents use their childrens names at least occasionally. The conversation always ends up with the father saying nasty things, and I get fed up and stop responding.

Any advice on any aspect of this situation would be incredibly helpful. Thanks in advance!
Alex