The WTF Syndrome

Don't you hate it when people take advantage of people, take people for granted, lie, cheat and steal and then decide to sum it all up by labeling the injured party as the victim of a "syndrome"? (As opposed to the unfortunate target of their own abusive and neglectful behaviors.) If it were up to me, I would call that the WTF Syndrome.

My kids have been through the ringer with their father over the years. I won't waste characters here detailing the crap he has put them through. And yet, recently, he has decided he actually wants to be a parent--well, to one of our children anyway. He told one of the lesser malleable children that they were "too difficult" to be welcomed for the regular summer visitation with their father. Obviously, the kids were heartbroken. But the favored child did still make their annual trek for visitation.

Long story short. That favored child was not placed back on their return flight home at the end of summer. And the "difficult" child was left behind here--without a father and without a sibling.

And to add insult to injury? The far away father decided not only to keep the younger more impressionable child but to label the older more sagacious child as the "victim of parental alienation syndrome." 

First, that "syndrome" is not a recognized disorder. Sure, that doesn't mean that parents can't (and don't) do things to annoy and alienate their children, it just means that PAS is being used by some abusive parents as a tactic to demonize a parent's attempts to protect their children from abuse (much more than the obvious  physical abuse--more often emotional, psychological, financial).

What can be done? Not much. See why I call it the WTF syndrome?

parenting

behavior

children