Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, days full of expectations. Breakfast in bed, well behaved children, getting to watch something you would like to watch on TV, being pampered and catered to.
Then we wake up. As cute as our kids are and as much as they try to be angels for our special day, they are kids, and ten minutes after being the most adorable, thoughtful child on the planet, they do something that makes you wonder if you are going to live through parenting them.
Single fathers are not a new breed but their numbers are growing and we need to recognize them. It used to be that when a couple divorced the children stayed with Mom and Dad drifted away, maybe to even start a new family.
More and more men are deciding that just because they are divorced doesn’t mean they don’t want to be a daily part of their children’s lives. For some men that means joint custody and lots of phone calls and interaction when the child is not with them. For other fathers this single parenthood thing is full time, around the clock, 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Some father’s choose this, in the divorce they want and are awarded, custody of the children. For other men the choice is made for them.
Sometimes women are not able to parent their children. As a mother that seems impossible to me, there isn’t anything that could stand in the way of being with my daughter. These men are learning to be both mother and father to their children, braiding hair and throwing footballs.
I want to say a special Happy Father’s Day to the Dads who have it thrust upon them, who find out, when their child is born, or shortly thereafter, that they are going to be alone in this. And they step up without missing a beat.
Happy Father’s day to all Dads’, everywhere. Your children are grateful that you exist.