If a father is going to deal successfully with a hostile mother, he must put aside his ego. Most hostile mothers are hostile because they know they have the weight of the Texas child welfare establishment on their side. They also know that very few men are going to mount a legal challenge to their supremacy. They, therefore, can afford to go ‘toe to toe’ with the father of their children. What men must do is to check their ego and understand that the end-game for them is remain an active presence in the life of that child. If you are in jail or living under a restraining order, it becomes almost impossible to achieve that goal.