News

Kritner: 'poison' harms children in divorces
 

By CHARLES WHISENANT - The Arab Tribune
Monday, December 22, 2008 10:54 AM CST

Candles for families Jeannie Kritner holds candles Thursday night at a ceremony she hosted at Arab City Park for family rights. Those attending the ceremony were, from left below, Jerry Kritner, Aileen Kritner, Herman Kritner, Fran Debolt, Candace Stevens and Victoria Holmes. For more on that issue, visit: http://familyrightsassociation.com; or call Kritner: 317-7579. Kritner also is an advocate of keeping children out of the "poison" of divorce fights.

It's the children who suffer the most when divorcing parents put them in the middle of the squabble. It's for these children that Jeannie Kritner hosted a candlelight ceremony at Arab City Park Thursday night.

"There is a name for it," she said. "It's called 'parental alienation syndrome. It comes when one or both parents put their child in the middle of their problems. They tell the kids that mom is a bad person or dad is a bad person."

While judges in Alabama frown on the practice, it isn't illegal here as it is in some states, where criminal charges can be filed against parents who "poison" the mind of their children.

"It's a major problem," she said.

She became interested in the problem because she was a victim of it during her divorce.

"My son is 21 now, but it was bad for a while," she said. "I've also seen other similar situations with friends and some family members, too. I'm still going through it to some extent with my youngest child.

"There should be a law against it here, but there isn't," she continued. "The courts try to hurry through the custody cases and don't really take the time they should to make sure it's not happening."

Kritner is a member of Three Sides to Every Story Inc., an organization that encourages families to take a look at all the possible sides of their situation when divorce seems to be the only way out, and children are involved.

"Even though we do understand the trauma divorcing parents are going through, we encourage you to step back and take a look at the pain this may also be causing your children," the organization's web site says. "Becoming a family and bringing children into this world is such a rewarding time in a person's life. However, breaking that family apart when children are involved is a part of your life that will destroy your child's future if you aren't objective, sensitive and understanding enough to do the right thing for them."

Kritner said that no children deserve to go to bed with the feeling that one or both parents don't love them.

"Our goal is to educate not only both parents, but to bring awareness to everyone," she said.