Dropping the Bomb on the Nuclear Family

Men, Women, and the Governments role in Child Development

Fathers play a crucial role in child development. Children develop best when they are provided with the opportunity to have warm, continuous, intimate, and enduring relationships with both their fathers and their mothers.

I Love my Children

Yet, if present trends continue . . .

The percentage of American children living apart from their biological fathers will reach 50 percent within the next generation.

Children Who Grow Up Without Fathers are

Dada

Five times more likely to live in poverty

Nine times more likely to drop out of school

20 times more likely to end up in prison

"Yet, while studies consistently show that men are victims of domestic violence as often as are women, both the lay public and many professionals regard a finding . . . surprising, if not unreliable, the stereotype being that men are aggressive and women are exclusively victims.'" Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology

Cant we all just get along

 There are more than 200 all-female colleges for women and not one single all-male college for men.
5.8% fewer men than women are enrolled in 4 year colleges. In 1993 only 44.5% of college enrollment were men, and that figure has declined since then. Only 38.4% of private 4 year college students were men as of 1990, and this figure has declined since then.

Baffling Facts

WHAT CAN MEN DO

Its not all my fault

Be available more than just weekends.

Show respect for your co-parent. Be aware of the need to communicate. Know your legal rights. Stay involved after a divorce or breakup, co-parenting works. Consider counseling.

WHAT CAN WOMEN DO

Look at things from your co-parents perspective.

I Love Your Mom

Adjust your standards to your needs.

Treat your co-parent as a partner not a helper.

Praise your co-parent.

Dont be a gatekeeper.

Recognize you cant do it alone.

Consider counseling.

WHAT CAN THE GOVERNMENT DO?

Reduce gender stereotyping in schools and Government literature. Provide Government funds for Fathers on a local level.

Hmmm

Make Fathers welcome in doctors offices and hospitals.

Public Awareness that single parents can all have a tough time. Overhaul the welfare system; focus on children and single parents.

WHAT ELSE CAN THE GOVERNMENT DO?

Encourage joint custody.

Uphold divorced and separated Fathers rights.

Implement Father friendly employment practices, not attacking them with DCS. Insist on a more accurate portrayal of Fathers in media.

Encourage Fathers to join programs to make them better single Fathers and co-parents.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

Help by supporting programs that help build relationships with mothers, fathers, and children. If you are in a co-parenting situation do your part to get along, you should be civil for the sake of the children. Realize that fathers do not have the same access to services and programs that women do and if that does not change, then it will be harder for fathers to be adequate caregivers in single parent situations. Develop counseling programs that help to make family time, dinners, and playtime with both parents.

Some of you may know the story of a father who overheard his son praying one night. He said, Dear God, make me the kind of man my father is. Later that night, the father, as he lay down to pray, said, Dear God, make me the kind of man my son wants me to be.