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Parental Alienation Syndrome

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I have seen many couples break up and use their children as pawns during arguments and custody battles. Too often, I hear one parent bad-mouth the other parent in front of the children. I have to admit, I have been guilty of the latter. I do make a conscientious effort not to do this, but I’m human, and it does happen from time to time. If this badmouthing occurs frequently, and is causing the child and other parent to have a poor relationship, it may be a condition known as parental alienation syndrome. Parental alienation syndrome occurs when one parent … Continue reading →

Update: Parental Alienation Syndrome

In a previous blog I talked about Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) and its affect on kids. PAS is a form of child abuse where one adult, generally the parent, seeks to endanger the relationship between a child and their other parent. This happens many times in bitter divorce cases. For those out there who don’t believe the effects of PAS lasts a lifetime, listen to this story. Last week a Miami radio station held a 24-hour marathon to bring awareness of this important issue to listeners. During this time non-custodial parents, alienated parents and children affected by PAS, were given … Continue reading →

Visitation Is A Four Letter Word

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Why is it called visitation? Are our children really visiting their non custodial parent like they are guests in that home? I’ve always disliked that word. It brings to mind prisons and hospital. Visiting hours are from… you get the idea. In the state of Utah if the divorcing parents cannot agree on a visitation schedule the state allows the custodial parent every other weekend and Wednesday nights. There are all kinds of rules about alternating holidays and what time the child has to be returned to the custodial parent. Really? Is this what we are reduced to in our … Continue reading →

Be Nice!

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Why is it that divorce makes us forget how fragile our children are? I firmly believe that in most cases our kids are more resilient than we realize, but when it comes to their parents, that’s not the case. We seem to be a society of fragmented families, so many people get divorced now. It doesn’t have to be all bad, sometimes a divorce was very necessary and everyone, including the children, is better off because of the divorce. So why are we still so bitter? I was listening recently to a friend recount her boyfriend’s interaction with his ex. … Continue reading →

Alhohol Abuse in Single-Parent Teens

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Studies have shown that children who are raised in single parent households are at a higher risk of developing alcohol-related problems. This could possibly be due to low supervision, inconsistent discipline, poor communication, or conflicts within the family. Teens with the highest risk of developing alcoholism are girls, those who begin drinking prior to age 14, and those with a parent who suffers from alcohol-related problems. Alcohol contributes to a number of problems, including an inability to pay attention, the risk for developing alcoholism, car-related deaths, higher risk for suicide, greater possibility of engaging in unprotected sex or sex with … Continue reading →

Role Models of Another Gender

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As a single parent with an absent non-custodial father, I always worried about my daughter having a strong male role model in her life. I did all I could by being the best mom I could be. I worked so I could provide her with shelter, food, clothes, and an over-abundance of toys. I made it a point of doing special mom and daughter things, such as painting our nails, going to a movie, shopping, etc. But there was one thing I could not do: teach her how to have a relationship with a man. I am not talking romantic … Continue reading →

How One Judge is Changing Infants’ Lives

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It is pretty much widely known among the scientific community that babies who interact regularly with their parents are, well. . .smarter. Early development specialists have long suggested that a lack of interaction can lead to a life time of learning problems and a lack of trust. When infants cannot connect with an adult it leaves them unable to trust anyone and often leads to a cyclical life of abuse and neglect. The neglected becomes the mother who neglects. . .and the cycle never ends. Enter Judge Cindy Lederman. As a family court judge in Florida, she sees cases like … Continue reading →

Parents Watch The Non-verbal Messages You Send Your Kids

By now everyone has heard about Alec Baldwin’s tirade to his 11-year-old daughter, Ireland. We know that that he left an angry voicemail message verbally abusing her by calling her a “thoughtless, little pig” and more. All because she wasn’t available at the time of a scheduled call on April 11. You may have also heard that he partly blames parental alienation by his ex Kim Basinger for his behavior. There’s never an excuse for verbally abusing a child. What parents have to remember though is that sometimes our non-verbal gestures are just as damaging to a young child’s psyche. … Continue reading →

Selling Our Kids and Using Them As Weapons

Some women don’t deserve to call themselves mothers. I’m usually not this harsh but I am greatly disturbed by two sad incidents in the news recently. You may have heard about them, if not, let me fill you in. A 31-year-old Davenport, Iowa woman allegedly tried to trade her 4-year-old son to pay off a $200 debt on a wedding dress. She faces up to 10 years in prison for this class C felony (she’s charged with one count of purchase or sale of an individual). According to reports, on at least two separate occasions she offered her son as … Continue reading →

What is Age Appropriate Sexual Development in Early Childhood? The Three to Five-Year-Olds.

The introduction to Age Appropriate Sexual Development can be viewed here. The pre-school child now has increased vocabulary and contact with a larger number of people. The children remain curious about their own bodies and the bodies of others. They are becoming acutely aware, and interested, of the difference between a boy body and a girl body and will typically start asking questions like, “Why does Daddy have a penis?” Their increased social contacts may bring them into contact with other Moms who are pregnant, or indeed, there may even be pregnancy in their own home. The questions continue: “Where … Continue reading →