Let me share with you, a true story: my brother and I were taken by my father for a "car ride" when I was barely 3 and my brother was about 18 months. We were taken to another state and left with my father's sister and her husband, for a time (I actually don't know how long as I was so very young.)
Later on, presumably with the with and consent of my father, we were taken to a Catholic orphanage and left (this time for 3 years) to either live until we were grown or were adopted out to other families.
I do remember my father visiting one time and as he brought me a toy rabbit pulling a cart with eggs, I presume it to be around Easter.
Sundays were for "visiting couples" desiring to adopt babies and young children, but mostly babies. I knew that my brother, still being a baby, would most likely be adopted out. As we lived on separate floors, me in the "girl's section," and he on another floor with the "babies," I would gather him up and take him to the playground area to "play" far away from those "visitors."
I would tell anyone and everyone that we, "weren't for adoption as we had parents who wanted us and were coming back for us."
After some time, my mother enlisted the aid (and finances) of her aunt and a cousin, who went looking for us.
Upon locating us, my mother proceeded to file whatever was necessary to get us returned to her but first, there needed to be a court hearing to determine "what was best for the children."
I still remember today being coached by my father but mostly his sister, to say that we "did NOT wish to live with our mother" (I didn't even remember her and certainly my brother did NOT), that we "wished to stay with our father" (though we didn't live with him but were in an orphanage living apart.
End result was that our mother was granted "conditional custody" with the help of her elderly aunt to oversee our welfare (mom had no job and no way to support us so the court was looking to our mother's aunt for financial assistance.)
End of this long story as I don't wish to expand beyond this is to state my father died in an accident while driving drunk within the year and my mother remarried but always had a difficult time understanding how and why I "would deny her or even remember who she is."
Stealing children from their mother in their infancy or childhood, unless and only if their lives or physical well-being is at stake, never, ever takes into account how it will impact the children.
It is a selfish act, putting the desires of the adult first usually to "punish" the spouse (never taking into consideration and probably not even caring to) never to consider the needs of the babies and/or young children.
Thanks for the reply. I got an urge to eat “chicken and noodles” after reading it as that was my favorite dish my mom made for me as a little little kid. Sometimes when it was a bit tight she made “tuna and nooodles” instead. i can’t presume guilt on the father like you can. I’ve known too many evil women.
I am sorry you had such a hard time in your childhood. I can tear up easily thinking about the children of divorce, kidnapping and abandonment. We hurt too many innocent souls with so much marital strife in our society.
I am sorry your father was a jerk.
However, the behavior your describe is most commonly committed by women.