The Flying Monkey Podcast

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Ukrainian Mother's Fight for Her Daughter,  a legal Ukrainian immigrant mother writes about losing custody of her teenage daughter to Child Protective Services (CPS), for your next listen check out Episode 20 for another story about a Grandmother who lost her grandchild to CPS.

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What happens when an alienated child grows up — and finally begins to understand what happened?

Taylor Rae experienced parental alienation as a child. Today, she brings a rare perspective to the conversation: she is a former alienated child, the wife of an alienated father, and now an advocate for parents and children experiencing family separation.

Taylor shares her journey through parental alienation, how she eventually began seeing her childhood experiences differently, and what helped her break free from the beliefs and dynamics that had shaped her relationship with a parent.

We discuss parental alienation from the child's perspective, parent-child rejection, family court, generational trauma, reunification and what alienated parents need to understand about what may be happening inside their child's mind.

For every parent wondering:

"Will my child ever understand?"

Taylor's story offers something many alienated parents desperately need — hope.

LISTEN NEXT — EPISODE 7: Taylor showed us parental alienation through the eyes of a child who lived it. Now explore the psychology behind it in Why Children Reject a Loving Parent: Understanding Parental Alienation.

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What happens when a grandmother is willing to care for her grandchild — but CPS and the courts move toward adoption instead?

Katherine joins The Flying Monkey Podcast to tell her story of fighting to remain in her grandchild's life and how that personal battle led her into national advocacy for children, parents and grandparents.

She shares her experience with Child Protective Services (CPS), the court system, adoption and the struggle of extended family members trying to maintain relationships with children they love.

We discuss grandparents' rights, kinship care, CPS, foster care, adoption, family separation and the difficult questions families face when government agencies become involved in the lives of children.

Katherine's fight began with one grandchild.

It became a fight for families across America.

LISTEN NEXT — EPISODE 17: Katherine's story shows what family separation can mean for a grandparent. Continue with Wendy MacDonald's discussion of alienated parents and grandparents in Parental Alienation Is Child Abuse: The Trauma Can Last Generations.

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He served his country. Now this military veteran says he's fighting another battle — simply to remain a father to his children.

In this Parent Stories episode of The Flying Monkey Podcast, a veteran father shares his experience navigating child custody, visitation and the family court system while fighting to maintain a meaningful relationship with his children.

What should have been time between a father and his children escalated into a frightening confrontation, adding another painful chapter to an already difficult custody battle.

He shares what happened, the emotional toll the conflict has taken on him and his children, and why he continues fighting to remain present in their lives.

This is one father's story about child custody, visitation, family court and a parent's determination not to give up on his children.

LISTEN NEXT — EPISODE 16: Hear another father's fight to remain part of his child's life in Another Father Forced Out of His Child's Life: Parental Alienation & Family Court.

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She lost time with her child. She lost her career. But she didn't lose her voice.

In this emotional Parent Stories episode, a mother shares her experience of being separated from her child and navigating a family court battle involving allegations she disputes, court orders and a system she believes caused unnecessary harm to her family.

She describes the devastating effect the custody battle had on her relationship with her child, her career and her life — and how those experiences ultimately led her to become an author and speak publicly about what happened.

We discuss false allegations, child custody, parental rights, family court and the emotional toll prolonged parent-child separation can have on both parents and children.

They took away many things.

But they didn't take away her voice.

LISTEN NEXT — EPISODE 9: Hear another mother's experience navigating the family court system in Restraining Order, Supervised Visitation & a Mother's Fight Against the Family Court System.

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Can parental alienation affect not only a parent and child — but generations of an entire family?

Wendy MacDonald of the Alienated Parent and Grandparent Peer Support Group joins The Flying Monkey Podcast for a conversation about parental alienation, family separation and the lasting trauma experienced by children, parents, grandparents and extended families.

We discuss the emotional and psychological impact of parent-child separation, the experiences of alienated parents and grandparents, and why Wendy believes parental alienation must be taken seriously as a form of family abuse.

This isn't only about a parent losing contact with a child. It's about relationships, childhoods and entire families that can be changed for generations.

If you are an alienated parent or grandparent, you are not alone — there are others who understand what you're going through.

LISTEN NEXT — EPISODE 21: We've heard what alienation can do to parents and grandparents. Now hear it from the child's perspective in She Broke Free: How an Alienated Child Escaped Parental Alienation.

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What happens when a father simply wants to be part of his child's life — but finds himself fighting both the other parent and the family court system?

In this emotional Parent Stories episode, Felix shares his years-long battle to have a meaningful relationship with his son. He talks about being excluded from his child's birth, traveling hundreds of miles for limited visitation, proposed supervised visitation, parental rights, false allegations, and his experiences fighting through family court.

We also discuss the constitutional rights of parents, the parent-child relationship, parental alienation, and what prolonged family separation can do to both a child and a loving parent.

Another father's story. Another child caught in the middle.

When a child suffers, society suffers.

LISTEN NEXT — EPISODE 19: Continue with Visitation Turned Violent: A Father's Family Court & Custody Nightmare — the story of a military veteran fighting to remain present in his children's lives.

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A father wanted one thing: what was best for his daughter. Instead, he found himself caught in a family court battle that he believes made an already difficult situation even worse.

In this Parent Stories episode of The Flying Monkey Podcast, a Florida father shares his battle to remain in his daughter's life and the emotional toll that child custody conflict and family court can take on a parent and child.

This is the human side of the family court system — what happens after the hearings, allegations and legal battles when a loving parent is simply trying to maintain a relationship with their child.

Listen to one father's story of love, frustration and determination to remain a dad.

LISTEN NEXT — EPISODE 16: Hear another father's fight to remain in his child's life in Another Father Forced Out of His Child's Life: Parental Alienation & Family Court.

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Imagine going 12 years without being allowed to have a relationship with your own daughter.

In this heartbreaking Parent Stories episode, Mary Ann shares her experience of prolonged parent-child separation and the desperation, grief and emotional toll of being denied contact with her daughter for more than a decade.

We discuss parental alienation, family court, child custody conflict and what happens to families when the bond between a loving parent and child is severed for years.

Behind every custody case are real parents and real children — and sometimes years of their lives that can never be given back.

LISTEN NEXT — EPISODE 21: If 12 years of separation makes you wonder whether an alienated child can ever see things differently, listen to She Broke Free: How an Alienated Child Escaped Parental Alienation. Taylor Rae tells the story from the child's side.

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What if a 23andMe DNA discovery led you back hundreds of years — to a massacre involving your own ancestors?

Author Michael "Mike" Bielas joins The Flying Monkey Podcast to discuss the remarkable family history that inspired his historical fiction novel, Under Royal Protection.

Mike shares his journey from growing up in a dysfunctional family and entering the foster care system to becoming an Air Force veteran, meteorologist, teacher and author. He also explains how genealogy and DNA research uncovered a chapter of his family's medieval English history that ultimately inspired him to write his novel.

It's a conversation about ancestry, perseverance, faith, history and discovering that your family's story may be far bigger than you ever imagined.

Under Royal Protection is available in print and digital formats

You can buy or download the book here -  https://www.amazon.com/UNDER-ROYAL-PROTECTION/dp/B0H5L2SLLL

LISTEN NEXT — EPISODE 2: Enjoy conversations with fascinating people? Listen next to our Celebrity Talk with actor Chris Mulkey for stories about Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman and a lifetime in Hollywood.