KatieD :
I had a child on my own, and I really believe that the withholding is effective for men because women would not leave relatives destitute or abandon a child. Men can because they are able to do this cruelty in service of their goals. After years of thought, i have come to believe that the family court system is the ultimate enabler. It is a common refrain that there is no way to make a father be a father, and yet they have “parental rights” to access the child on a regular basis if they choose to exercise it, completely independently of whether they pay support or are in arrears. In fact, attorneys regularly discourage mothers from mentioning any of their labor, and are expected to do the majority of the coordinating, communicating, and all the emotional labor there in to encourage a relationship between the father and the child regardless of the father’s willingness or ability, and without regard to the child’s preferences or any abuse the mother may regularly experience from the father in these exchanges. The mother’s caretaking needs, life, independence, and desires for herself are completely invisible. In fact attempting to address any of these will backfire when other mediation, gals or professionals enter the fray. If we had courts that were truly child centered, then fathers would be accountable for making better choices and prioritizing the children they created. If men thought that they would be forced to do equal labor, equal drop offs and pick ups, equal activities, equal assistance with homework, and give up careers that don’t align with the school schedule or pay for their own arrangements… they may think twice about being so obstinate while in the marriage. It would also solve many issues of compatibility of work schedules and school schedules because there would be alignment of parents advocating for these changes.
2026-07-26 02:04:23