Attacking Dads

Behold the latest article to rile the world of dadbloggers: Custody Lost, by Sally Abrahms at Working Mother magazine.

The piece basically argues that more working women might not get full custody of their kids in divorce because the dads are becoming primary caregivers. It’s kind of a lazy argument, particularly because it seems bereft of actual data. A few anecdotes do not make a trend, people.

The worst sin of the piece, though, is that it doesn’t seem to consider that the dad might DESERVE at least joint custody in a lot of modern marriages. Shouldn’t joint custody be applauded anyhow? Fathers are encouraged by all sides to be more involved in the kids’ lives when the marriage is still on; why should that change after divorce? Or are we so tribal that all women should wish all moms get complete custody? That seems to be the author’s take.

Daddytypes.com has a thorough takedown of the piece here. It’s worth a read.

Published by Nathan

Nathan Thornburgh is a contributing writer and former senior editor at TIME Magazine who has also written for the New York Times, newyorker.com and, of course, the Phnom Penh Post. He suspects that he is messing up his kids, but just isn’t sure exactly how.

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