Every Other Weekend: How Divorced Dads Can Connect With Their Kids—All Week Long! by Claudette Chenevert
Your husband just said goodbye to his kids for the hundredth time this year. Somehow, it doesn’t seem to get any better for him. He’s an amazing dad, but something seems to pull at his heartstrings whenever he hugs his kids goodbye.
As a stepmom, you feel the struggles and challenges related to raising someone else’s children. It’s not easy—and it’s definitely complicated. You probably also view your partner as being very good at parenting. Yet, although he puts on a strong face, he is saddened every time the kids go back to their mom’s.
Handing children off to the other parent goes beyond what you’re experiencing. Your partner, as a dad, likely finds that difficult to deal with. Men today want to be a part of their kids’ lives and are more involved with the care and raising of their children than most of their own dads and grandfathers were.
The number of stay-at-home dads in the U.S. is increasing and now totals two million, according to the Pew Research Center. In fact, 48 percent of working fathers said they would stay home and care for their families if they could afford to. Unfortunately, since 2010, the number of dads who live apart from their children (as a result of separation, divorce, etc.) has risen to 27 percent.
The presence of fathers in their children’s lives offers a more balanced way of living for both girls and boys. Men and women deal with life issues differently and it’s good for children to observe the different ways in which their moms and dads approach their parenting roles. …To read the rest of this article, log in to your account and download the June 2015 issue. Don’t have an account? Click here to subscribe.