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A dad on Mother’s Day

May
6

 Mother’s Day can be a tad hectic for me. That’s simply because of all the mother’s around me, from my girlfriend, to my mom, to my ex, to my girlfriend’s mom, who will be visiting this weekend. I think I can skate with a phone call on a couple, but will have to put up on at least two of them. Heck, we may even want to get flowers for our neighbor, who we have become friendly with.

But I consider myself lucky, with all those moms around me. And it made my thoughts wander a bit to the single dads out there. The assumption might be that divorced dads with shared custody give up the weekend to their ex’s, much as you would expect a divorced mom to do the same on Father’s Day. Then I figure there are truly single dads raising the kids solo. What do they do?

No surprisingly, I wasn’t the only one tossing this around in my head. I came across a blog post on, of all places, the AdoptionBlogs.com website that addressed this very thing. In this case, the writer simply put the question to several dads and came up with this entry. It hardly addresses all scenarios, but it highlights my thinking that, based on their individual circumstances, Mother’s Day can be a radically different experience for the dads out there.

Any stories of your own?

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 6th, 2008 at 10:20 am by Jorge Fitz-Gibbon.
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5 Responses to “A dad on Mother’s Day”

  1. dadshouse

    I’m a divorced dad with half-time custody, so my ex-wife takes the kids on mother’s day weekend, and I take them on father’s day weekend. My own mom lives far enough away that I send a card and make a phone call. It would be great to take my kids to visit my mom and have a big celebration, like my ex will do with her mom who lives close by, but that just can’t happen. At least my brother and his wife and kids can do that with my mom so she’s not alone for the day.

    I already took my kids to get their mom a gift for mother’s day. Sadly, even after eight years of divorce, she doesn’t return the favor on father’s day. But at least I can count on my kids being with me that day.

  2. Steve C.

    The dad rarely gets the benefit of the doubt. There’s an old Movie. Kramer Vs. Kramer. perfect example of what happens even today. Luckily I am not in this situation,but i see it happen all the time. The Dad is the better of the 2 but Mom gets because Mom is Mom. even if she is a crackhead.
    unreal…

  3. Steve C.

    So when do we get out LohudDADs.com? or better off. giving mom the boot and saying lohudParents.com
    because this is y2k+ and we arent the Dad’s of olde …

    I would bet big money that if we had a lohudDADs.com mom’s would join or request to join and be part of the forum. unlike LohudMoms.com where you have to register and say hey i am a mom ..

    ERA at its unequal best…

  4. Steve C.

    Listens to the sounds of silence. sigh
    its amazing. Dads never get a break .

  5. Jorge Fitz-Gibbon

    I certainly was hoping for more of a response too, Steve. But thanks to you and dadshouse for the input. In the meantime, I forgot my sister-in-law in Chicago. So, I’ll be busy on the phone on Sunday. Fortunately, my girlfriend’s mom is in for the weekend, so that saves me a dime.
    Anyway, still hoping to get more dads to chime in here.

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About this blog
Parents’ Place is a hangout for openly discussing the A’s to Z’s of raising a child in the Lower Hudson Valley. From deciding when to stop using a binky to when to let your teenager take driving lessons, Parents’ Place is here to let us all vent, share, and most of all, learn from each other.
Leading the conversation are Julie Moran Alterio, a business reporter and mom of a toddler, Jorge Fitz-Gibbon, a reporter and single father with joint custody of a 9-year-old son, and Len Maniace, a reporter and father of two sons.


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About the authors
Julie Moran AlterioJulie Moran AlterioJulie Moran Alterio, her husband and baby girl — “Pumpkin” — share their Northern Westchester home with three iPods and more colorful plastic toys than seems necessary to entertain one tiny human. READ MORE
Jorge Fitz-GibbonJorge Fitz-GibbonJorge Fitz-Gibbon has been a journalist for more than 20 years and a father for nine. READ MORE
Jane LernerJane LernerJane Lerner covers health and hospitals for The Journal News in Rockland, where she lives with her husband and two children. READ MORE
Len Maniace.jpgLen ManiaceLen Maniace is a reporter and father of two sons. READ MORE



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