I Am a Single Parent
I have two sons, 19 and 15. While I share my younger son every two weeks with his father, who lives nearby, my older son has chosen to be with me full time.
It is so sad to me that this son and his father have lost ALL relationship - they can go 6 months or more without speaking. There doesn't appear to be a lot of anger, just apathy on the father's part and resignation on the son's. A few weeks ago, my son told me that he had offered to take his dad to lunch, just to catch up. (Note: I was well aware that son, being a full-time student, was asking me for money to make this happen. Meanwhile, his dad pays not a penny of child support and makes fine money.)
Today, we were commuting together, and he asked me, "Hey, what's dad up to lately? Did he get married to ****?" OMG, I bit my lip. "I don't know, didn't you guys just get together for lunch?" "No, he had a job and had to cancel." "Well, did you reschedule?" No, he sent me a text and I haven't heard from him since."
Dude! If you are a single parent, chances are you are dating. If you met someone you liked and hoped to date them, you would not treat them nearly so cavalier - you'd be attentive, involved, excited to have anything to do with them. You would answer when they call, find any reason to call them. You would keep your plans, and, and when you needed to reschedule, you would want them to know how much you wish you didn't have to, you'd make a new plan and move mountains to keep it.
So why do some people think it's ok to treat your children like this??
It is so sad to me that this son and his father have lost ALL relationship - they can go 6 months or more without speaking. There doesn't appear to be a lot of anger, just apathy on the father's part and resignation on the son's. A few weeks ago, my son told me that he had offered to take his dad to lunch, just to catch up. (Note: I was well aware that son, being a full-time student, was asking me for money to make this happen. Meanwhile, his dad pays not a penny of child support and makes fine money.)
Today, we were commuting together, and he asked me, "Hey, what's dad up to lately? Did he get married to ****?" OMG, I bit my lip. "I don't know, didn't you guys just get together for lunch?" "No, he had a job and had to cancel." "Well, did you reschedule?" No, he sent me a text and I haven't heard from him since."
Dude! If you are a single parent, chances are you are dating. If you met someone you liked and hoped to date them, you would not treat them nearly so cavalier - you'd be attentive, involved, excited to have anything to do with them. You would answer when they call, find any reason to call them. You would keep your plans, and, and when you needed to reschedule, you would want them to know how much you wish you didn't have to, you'd make a new plan and move mountains to keep it.
So why do some people think it's ok to treat your children like this??
By:
simplygirl
Age:
41-45
,
Female
