One of the jokes in our family revolves around my Dad and his encyclopedia-like knowledge of roads, highways and mileage. No matter where I’ve traveled, Dad asks about the route. More often than not, he tells me I could have taken a shorter, faster, safer, more scenic route– complete with a list of the fast food restaurants and tourist attractions I would have passed along the way. The fact that Dad may have never been within 500 miles of my destination doesn’t matter.

It isn’t often a son gets to stand where presidents have addressed millions and deliver a speech, but I recently did just that at the 2010 Family Preservation Festival in Washington D.C. On the day I spoke about surviving parental alienation the temperature was approximately 115 degrees. Festival participants were more interested in surviving the heat so attendance was sparse. That’s okay. I had the U.S. Capital behind me and the Washington Monument in front of me. I started my speech with an inside joke to Dad and the rest of the family. Only about one dozen people in the world would have understood it, until now.

To hear my little family joke and how I’ve survived parental alienation please click on the links below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fc9XTQw582g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfGmE_o2EFo

Jeffries will first address participants of the D.C. Family Preservation Rally Fest 2010 on Saturday, July 23 at 1:00 p.m. Jeffries will then move over to the Family Preservation Festival. The author’s appearance at the second event is scheduled for 3:o0 p.m. the same day.

Both events are located within walking distance of each other in downtown Washington D.C. The Rally Fest 2010 event is at the beginning of the National Mall between the Capital and the Capital Reflecting Pool. The Fesitival is in Upper Senate Park. 

“I am thrilled to address both groups because everyone involved in these events are dedicated to raising the visibility of parental alienation,” Jeffries said. “In addition, many of the participants are alienated parents who would much rather be spending the summer weekend with their children. We hope we can help them deal with their status as targeted parents so they will be ready when their children reach out to them.”

Jeffries will also be at Cosi Restaurant on Friday evening at 8:00 p.m. signing copies of his book, A Family’s Heartbreak: A Parent’s Introduction to Parental Alienation. Cosi is located at 1700 Pennslyvania Ave. N.W.

Join Jeffries as he discusses Parental Alienation Awareness Day, coping tips for targeted parents, and a whole lot more with Parents Rule! host Pat Montgomery. The one hour program was originally broadcast on April 15, 2010 on Americas Web Radio and Radio Sandy Springs. Listen to the podcast (.mp3)

“Parents Rule! is recognizing Parental Alienation Awareness Day on April 25 by devoting its April 15 show to the topic of parental alienation. I’m thrilled to join host Pat Montgomery and raise the visibility of an issue that affects countless children, parents and extended family members every year,” Jeffries said.

The Parents Rule! radio show is for parents of all ages and offers the information parents need and the encouragement they crave. Listeners can hear the program live on http://www.radiosandysprings.com or http://www.americaswebradio.com. Listeners can also call in and ask questions by dialing 404-943-1620. The show is also podcast on iTunes by browsing Parents Rule.  
 
Pat Montgomery is the author of Now You Know What I Know: Parenting Wisdom of a Grandmother. Montgomery’s website is http://www.parentsrulewithpat.com.

The program will focus on parental alienation and the progress parents, legal and mental health professionals have made raising awareness of this destructive family dynamic in the public’s consciousness. The DSM Review Board is currently considering a proposal to put parental alienation in the next edition of the Diagnositc and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders — making this week’s America’s Injustice program particularly relevant.

Listeners can access the program at www.talkshoe.com or call in at 724-444-7444, program ID 52056.

Does Amazon know something we don’t know? Is the unknown connection the thought-to-be-deceased Mr. Partridge? We were told that Shirley Jones was a widow. But did she just say she was a widow and in reality alienate Keith, Danny and Lori from their Dad? Think about it — the kids never talked about Dad, or wished that he could attend one of their concerts. Mrs. Partridge and Reuben didn’t do anything to keep Dad’s memory alive either. All very suspicious if you ask me.

Perhaps it will take a VH1 Partridge Family Behind the Music to know for sure. Until then, you can get the truth about parental alienation from other sources. One source is the U.K.’s Natasha Phillips on Researching Reform, a program highlighting developments in England’s legal system. Mike Jeffries, author of A Family’s Heartbreak: A Parent’s Introduction to Parental Alienation, recently discussed marriage, the legal system, and parental alienation on Researching Reform. The complete interview is at link below.
Podcast

On January 6 at 9:00 a.m. EST (6:00 a.m. Pacific) Jeffries will be the very first guest on the ”Let’s Talk Family” radio program hosted by Steve Ashley. The “Let’s Talk Family” program airs locally on KSQQ 96.1 FM  in San Jose, California and is streamed live on the internet. Jeffries will discuss his experience with parental alienation — a destructive family dynamic where one parent damages, and in some cases destroys, a child’s normal healthy relationship with the child’s other parent – and how his book, A Family’s Heartbreak: A Parent’s Introduction to Parental Alienation, is helping families avoid what his family experienced. 

On January 7 at 7:00 p.m. EST Jeffries will join Host Paulette MacDonald on the “The Single Parent Show” on CFAO 94.7 FM (www.cfao947.com), Alliston Ontario’s Best Variety station.  
“The Single Parent Show” is an educational program covering a variety of topics involving parenting issues after separation and divorce. Jeffries will describe parental alienation and offer targeted parents tips on surviving this emotional devastating experience.

Both programs will be posted on the Resources page of www.afamilysheartbreak.com after their broadcasts.

Tawnya Maddox, founder and president of Split n Two http://www.splitntwo.com, calls A Family’s Heartbreak: A Parent’s Introduction to Parental Alienation, “heart-wrenching yet informative.  I recommend it to anyone who may be dealing with any form of parental alienation — it just may save you and your children years of heartache,” she adds.

Jeffries will discuss the book and take questions from listeners during the program.  To participate, call:

(724) 444-7444

Enter: 15248 # (Call ID)

Enter: 1 # or your PIN

Sister Julia and Sister Charity have teamed up to offer hope and help to targeted parents and adult survivors of parental alienation.  They provide support, encouragement and empowerment thru the exchange of information, resources and ideas among non-custodial parents and other targeted individuals being kept away from the children they love.

If you want to dial in call 724-444-7444 and enter the caller ID — 28046.

Or log on at http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/talkCast.jsp?masterId=28046&cmd=tc

I was very impressed with host Rick Ortiz and the quality of the production.  Rick knew his topic and the production values are as good as anything you’ll see on TV.  The 30 minute program covers a lot of ground — parental alienation from each family member’s perspective to the role of the courts in alienation cases.  We even talked about how A Family’s Heartbreak: A Parent’s Introduction to Parental Alienation went from an idea to a book.

Check out the interview if you get a chance –

http://www.dadsdivorce..com/blog/DadsDivorce-Live-A-Familys-Heartbreak-Interview.html.