Father’s Day and Every Day, Make a Difference…
Every year, June is the month that we celebrate the fathers in our lives. Television shows, commercials and greeting cards picture the day as a celebration of happy families, smiling children, and BBQ’s. As appealing as that is, this is not the way that some fathers and children will spend the day. In reality, many fathers and children will not be together. Broken relationships have developed due to divorce, non-payment of child support, unemployment, substance abuse, domestic violence, or other reasons that disruptive the family unit. These issues are hard for parents to handle, but many bring consequences that are even harder on children. Ask any juvenile court judge or elementary school teacher if the actions of parents make a difference in a child’s life…. the answer, yes.
No matter how much time you actually get to spend with your children on Father’s Day (whether it be the whole day, a couple hours or even if you don’t get to see your kids in person at all), you need to make the effort to show your kids you love them and are there for them to the fullest extent allowed within the boundaries of court orders. This means planning something fun, but most importantly meaningful, where you are able to express how much you care.
Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Check your anger at the door: Put all your negative feelings away while you are working to make it a special day for your children.
Show gratitude if your ex does you a favor: It can be difficult to say “thank you” to your ex after a divorce, but fostering a feeling of cooperation will help to create a better co-parenting relationship which is in turn better for your children.
Plan ahead for quality time: the amount of time you spend isn’t what matters — it’s what you do with it. Make sure whatever you plan has some sort of special significance, particularly if you only get a short visit.
Use technology: If you can’t be with your kids use Face Time or some other video product to be with your kids
Parents are important, and children are more than worth it.
Happy Father’s Day! And may many more families celebrate Father’s Day next year.