Child custody issues are some of the most contentious matters in a divorce. While not the norm anymore, mothers were usually given primary custody in the past. For one woman, having her dad around part-time was better than having no dad at all, although it took her several years to realize that. She said that she realizes that some people won’t agree with her analysis, but that is okay with her.
The woman’s parents divorced when she was 14. She was given the choice of with which parent she wanted to live. She chose her mom. Later that night, she found her father, whom she had never seen cry, sobbing. She wondered if she had made the right choice and if her father was going to be okay.
Over the next several years, she didn’t hear much from her dad. She believes that he took her choice to live with her mom as a rejection, so he rejected her back. She rebelled as a teen and lost her grandmother. Life was difficult and she couldn’t understand why her father had basically abandoned her.
More years would pass, and she and her father would continue to push each other away. Eventually, they would find a way to forgive each other. She would be grateful for that always.
She wants couples who have children and are going through a divorce to think about how child custody decisions will affect them. Each parent deserves time with their children, unless there are abuse or similar issues. The decisions made now about child custody will have an effect on children’s lives even after they are adults.
Source: Huffington Post, “A Part-Time Dad Is Better Than No Dad,” Trish Eklund, March 29, 2016
