Well… for a start, when I first looked at the thread, after the thread had been posted, I felt certain that the post had been made by Lucy. So that’s my mistake. Sorry. Secondly, I am not out to offend anyone, but merely to state an opposing opinion. Just because a post is made here, it does not mean to say that everyone has to agree with it’s contents. Thirdly, it DOES matter when women bring kids up (in the majority of the cases) and men don’t pay to help bring up their kids. It’s wrong.
If these blokes, who want to stay in close contact with their kids, are really sure about doing so, then why not ask for custody, and raise them full stop? For those men who are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea, and want to see their kids on a regular basis, well they need to accept that kids cost a packet, and the whole package includes more than weekends out, daytrips and a few hundred quid a month. They also take, the time and trouble to instill, discipline, time with homework, going to the school when it’s not looking so good, and budgetting for them on a day to day basis.
A pair of shoes and an afternoon in the park, is not parenthood. Snotty noses, and chicken pox is best experienced first hand.
Explaining menstruation, and voice changes is not a two month phase that you see at the weekends.
If you do not think that child support (dosh) plays no part in raising a child, think again.
With regards to ‘gender biased’ A Mum in a single parent home is now a social moiree. Dads raising kids is far and few bewteen. Rare in fact.
If you have a child , not only expect 18+ years of emotional, spiritual, and clothing support. Also expect to clean up the vomit, worry yourself to death, argue the toss, count to ten many times, pick up the bits and pieces, tell them the most horrendous details of any slightly embarrassing thing.
Whilst you may say that men in a position where they cannot have close contact with their kids because of separation with a partner, are being denied access, I challenge any bloke to sit down with his kids for a few weeks, and take 100% care of them and then say that they will not pay for trainers etc.
Finally… Kate. Yes … It was you who asked for opinions on this topic. Well done for asking others to respond on such an emotive topic.
P.S. Gender biaised means getting men and women to visit the site and comment.