Yet another example of parental alienation. A father created a blog called “The Psycho Ex Wife” where he vented about his ex – the mother of his two boys ages 10 and 12. During a recent court hearing, a judge ordered the father to shut down the blog. According to the judge, the father was using the forum to publicly badmouth the mother, which in turn, was hurting the children.
The blog was certainly popular. Apparently, it had over 200,000 followers.
The father is appealing the judge’s ruling claiming that it violates the First Amendment.
Surely there are times when a parent needs to vent or “blow off some steam.” However, it must be done in a way so that the children are insulated. Individual therapy, recreational pursuits or having a non-public discussion with a trusted friend are just a few examples of non-alienating outlets.
The presence of parental alienation is one of the “game changers” that family law judges will use when deciding issues of custody and visitation.
I agree with many in the legal community that the father may very well win his appeal on First Amendment grounds. But at what cost to the children?