Tag: father presence
The Current Conversation on Mentorship for Boys Excludes Responsible Fatherhood
Any national conversation about boys and men that does not center fatherhood risks misdiagnosing the problem and misdirecting the response.
Framing mentorship as a corrective for father absence must be handled with care. When mentoring programs are positioned as replacements for fathers rather than complements to parental involvement, they unintentionally reinforce a deficit narrative.
When Winning Feels Like Losing: The Hidden Scoreboard of Fatherhood and the Battle for Connection
Parenthood, in general (and fatherhood, in particular), is often talked about in the language of winning and losing. We hear it in courtrooms: “I won custody.” We hear it in child support battles: “He lost his rights.” We even hear it in the tone of everyday conversations when someone asks, “What happened with your case?” and the answer comes back, “I won.”
But every time a parent “loses” in court, there is another loss that no one writes about — the child’s. The child loses the rhythm of consistent connection. They lose the security of shared presence. And they begin to internalize the idea that love and belonging are things people have to compete for.
There Is No Such Thing as a Fatherless Child.
One hundred percent of biological children have a father. The question is not if he exists — it’s where. And when we fail to ask “where,” we teach children to believe he doesn’t exist.
Just Say “Happy Father’s Day”
I’ve earned the right to speak on this with conviction:
Just say “Happy Father’s Day.”
Not “Happy Father’s Day to all the amazing uncles.” Not “Happy Father’s Day to all the moms doing double duty.” Not “Happy Father’s Day to coaches, mentors, big brothers, or strong women who step up.”