People often feel like fathers are in a tough position when it comes to getting child custody rights, and this can be true. Much of the time, mothers are given custody of children, rather than fathers. However, as one young father has pointed out, it is possible for fathers to step up and fight for their rights in a child custody situation.
The man who brought this to light was in his early twenties when he started living with his daughter — a toddler at the time since she’d been born when he was 19 — on his own. He said that growing up with her was an incredible experience because of the bond that the two had and the way that they got to know each other on such a deep level. As she was about to turn 13, marking a turning point in her life, he recalled the times that they’d spent together.
He also referenced the way that many fathers are prone to complain about the child custody system. While not denying that some of them have a point, he did say that a lot of them were actually not doing all that they could to be with their children. In some ways, they were choosing not to, even if they didn’t like it.
First off, he pointed out that 81.7 percent of all of the parents with custody are the children’s mothers. However, he also pointed out that the majority of cases — 51 percent — are cases in which both parties reach an agreement on what they want to happen. That indicates that many fathers are agreeing to turn over custody for one reason or another.
Fathers need to know that they have rights as well, and they need to know how to fight for those rights if they so desire.
Source: Huffington Post, “‘I Want to Pee Like Daddy’” Jon Vaughn, Sep. 12, 2014
