Is it now common for fathers to raise there children after a divorce and get community support/?

Question

I have raised my son since he was two on my own. He is now 12 and is doing well. Over the years I came to realize that there isnt much support for men. Everyone is focused on a mom raising children. I know that a man raising a child isnt common but it was difficult without support other than family. There are so many support groups for moms. I hope things are changing.

Answer 1

Hey buddy I am in the same situation. I have been raising my daughter for 5 years (she 6). I get the sexism from every angle, school, court system, child support, church. The only thing I can tell you is to speak up. For instance, I noticed that my daughters class was working on a project called helping hand and they hung this in the hallway outside there room. It was broken down into two categories: HOME and SCHOOL. The teacher listed quite a few items under home i.e. make your bed, wash the dishes etc. etc. However, I noticed the teacher had put on there HELP MOM. There was nothing about HELP DAD. So I spoke up just to enlighten my daughters teacher and remember that there are Dad's out there that do all the things MOM's do. I plan on attending the rest of the PTO meetings and speak up about the school's biased opinions of fathers.

Answer 2

There is not a lot of support for women, either. Look at the American culture--from the very beginning, with pregnancy being defined as a "disability" by insurance companies. Day care is expensive, employers don't usually offer it and they don't give you time to deal with child related issues. American culture is not friendly to either gender as a parent. Even 2 parent families stuggle to get by.

Answer 3

I don't know about formal support systems, but friends should definitely understand! I have a family member who is raising his child alone & we all think it is the best thing! Happier child, happier more normal home.....
The best parent should raise the kid, male or female.

Answer 4

this is not answering your question but i just have to make a comment..i tried my best to raise my children and made some errors,can't be helped. received no recognition from community..kids were 5 thru 11, divorced 1970,thanks judge, he gave me custody. my greatest pleasure was listening to women complain and whine that they had no time for themselves and life was so hard, some with only one child,i had four. i could not resist telling them my situation plus i worked..they would shut up and look a bit embarrassed, i loved it..

Answer 5

It's not common but it is normal. If you are a good father and as you said he is doing well. Then you have nothing to worry about. http://fatherhood.about.com/od/mensissues/a/support_groups.htm

here is a site you can go to to get some more answers to your question.

Answer 6

Check out Men In Crisis, my friend is part of that group. I'm not sure if they have one in your area, but it might be worth looking into.
Great Job & Good Luck!

Answer 7

i'm a single parenting father next year to raise my 2 son.
i need your email and your guidance, how to be raise my sons in proper ways. if you got time pls email me the information how to take care of them. [e-mail]