Parental alienation - the toll on children

I just saw a report on the CBS early morning news. A therapist who was interviewed indicated that it will take years for children to recover from same - years, even their whole lives.

My regular readers are well aware of the loss I suffered of my youngest son in custody battle with my former husband. 12 years later, parental alienation is the order of the day with my former spouse. Missed holidays, birthdays, other special occasions - all gone - simply because his father, 15 years after our divorce - refuses to have a relationship with me. Indeed, our last email exchange was filled with venom, and ended with his telling me he was essentially counting the years until my youngest son is 18 and we won't have to speak any more.

This exchange came simply because I asked to have the opportunity to claim my son on my taxes every other years - not an unusual request and one that I could enforce through the courts were I so inclined, but I continue to take the moral high ground, knowing that at some point my son will figure it out and begin to question me regarding my absence from his life.

It is a sad story and one that is told far too often. It is unfortunate that so many children continue to be casualties of divorce. There will be hours spent in therapy and untold thousands of dollars in copays for these poor children.

Let's try to make it stop already!