171
votes
Being told I'm father to a son I don't want
Judging from your "Jeremy Kyle show" reference as well as your use of certain phrases, I assume that you are in the U.K., which has some impact on which answer is right as far as legal matters are ...
- 1,456
130
votes
Should I try to long-distance parent or will I do more harm than good?
I don't think you can "parent" in the sense of applying discipline and strong guidance. But you can be in his life. My mother had a god-daughter on a different continent. From the time the god-...
- 1,239
110
votes
Being told I'm father to a son I don't want
Bro, don't be afraid. How old is this child? I'm guessing baby. My for real advice (everyone is RIGHT on the lawyer part, but that's not a part of my answer, because they have already said it. I'm ...
- 1,118
72
votes
My partner's pregnant with her second child (my first) and shows no emotions. How can I help bring that excitement out of her?
Pregnancy and how it affects the mother is an intense stew of physical and hormonal changes. Each child may come with a different "stew" recipe. Sounds like the father of her original child didn't ...
- 2,159
69
votes
Accepted
How to comfort my dad after telling him that I don't like to do anything with him?
It's so hard for parents when their children start to pull away. We may be parents, but we are also human beings. It hurts, even when we try not to show it. We question ourselves and if we are doing ...
- 1,771
44
votes
Can my 6 years old daughter be my business partner?
As others have said, the primary thing is that you make this a fun activity that the two of you do together, not a chore. That means that you will wind up doing the bulk of the actual work; do not ...
- 10.2k
41
votes
How to comfort my dad after telling him that I don't like to do anything with him?
UPDATE: This is apparently affecting my dad so much that he's thinking about quitting work, and he's the only source of income. I need some step-by-step instructions on how to do this before it's too ...
- 10.3k
40
votes
My partner's pregnant with her second child (my first) and shows no emotions. How can I help bring that excitement out of her?
If there's one thing I'd communicate to a new parent-to-be, it's to completely clear out your expectations. Having expectations sets you up for disappointment, because nothing in parenting is like ...
- 61.8k
34
votes
I want to dropout of HS yet my dad is mad at my decision
You need a better plan, kid.
This will be a bit of a harsh answer, but you definitely seem smart and mature enough to deserve one. First of all, don't waste a single further breath explaining your "...
- 581
28
votes
What is the day to day life like as a father?
It depends on the child - some babies sleep through the night when young, some insist on feeding every couple of hours. Some need constant entertainment, some like wriggling in a basket. You'll ...
- 380
27
votes
Should I try to long-distance parent or will I do more harm than good?
I don't have any experience or background here, I'm just a guy with a couple kids, including a 3yr old son. But I would say you should hang in there.
You are part of your son and as he grows older ...
- 1,095
26
votes
My partner's pregnant with her second child (my first) and shows no emotions. How can I help bring that excitement out of her?
My wife's second pregnancy was kind of the same situation. I'm super excited, but she finds it hard to get excited. There are a couple things that have been affecting her emotionally. As a father ...
- 3,743
24
votes
What is the day to day life like as a father?
No one seems to have put it the way I would. Many years ago I was browsing in a bookstore with my daughter on my shoulder. An older gentleman asked her age. I told him; she was about 1 at the time. ...
- 241
20
votes
How to comfort my dad after telling him that I don't like to do anything with him?
You've done a very good thing by asking for help. There may be tough times ahead, but you are trying hard to do something about it, so whatever happens, remember that you did the best you could.
...
- 649
19
votes
Being told I'm father to a son I don't want
I'm assuming you're in the UK, based on the language in your post.
There are two things you need to deal with here:
1. Legal responsibilities
If you agree to have your name on the child's birth ...
17
votes
My partner's pregnant with her second child (my first) and shows no emotions. How can I help bring that excitement out of her?
Your wife should consider getting tested for pre-partum depression (pregnancy blues). Being as emotionally withdrawn as you describe may be a sign of depression.
- 982
16
votes
How do I tell my 13-year-old son I am his biological father?
I have not had this experience, so I have no first hand information.
I have counselled one family in a similar situation -- the introduction of a birth mother to her child who was adopted by two ...
- 17.5k
16
votes
Being told I'm father to a son I don't want
Whatever you do, from the voice of experience, if the mother has shown to not be trustworthy, do not restart any relationship with the mother of the child; women often use the child to keep the father ...
- 313
16
votes
Is this alcohol consumption by my father normal?
Two to three beers a night for several years would be something very difficult to hide from one's wife, unless your parents are separated.
You are worried, so you should talk to someone about it. I ...
- 69.8k
15
votes
Should I try to long-distance parent or will I do more harm than good?
Your child will only ever have one birth father. That is a fact. That he may develop relationships with other men in his life - step dad, uncles, teachers, coaches - is very likely as life if long and ...
- 196
13
votes
Accepted
What to dow when my 13-year-old son still wants to hold my hand?
The other answers are good. I'll offer another point of view:
Cherish it
Your son wants to hold your hand? Let him. One day he probably won't want to anymore and you'll long for the days when your ...
- 1,742
12
votes
How to comfort my dad after telling him that I don't like to do anything with him?
You're a gamer with relationship problems? Hey, I was a gamer with relationship problems too. I get it. (I even met my wife on an online game. Right after I killed her. What a noob... Sorry, what was ...
- 2,092
12
votes
What is the day to day life like as a father?
I hope that if you and your wife are ready and truly want children that you will go ahead. However you have to be prepared to parent which is another full-time career and one that should have priority ...
- 17.5k
12
votes
My partner's pregnant with her second child (my first) and shows no emotions. How can I help bring that excitement out of her?
I'm sincerely sorry that you're having trouble enjoying this experience, but that doesn't mean there's anything about your partner you get to fix. You don't get to try to "bring that excitement out of ...
- 268
11
votes
How and when should I tell my son that his amazing father isn't his biological father?
My situation was very similar to yours. My husband and I filed natural paternity since neither of the boys legally had a father at birth, and the courts gave them his last name and amended their SSN's ...
- 111
11
votes
Accepted
Preparing and handling 1-month absence of father for 3.5 year-old
In my experience there's not a lot of pre-preparation you can do with the child at that age; it's hard to understand the concept of 'future' at 3. Tell her that you're going on a trip, but focus on ...
- 61.8k
11
votes
How can I fix our relationship after falsely punishing my son?
Before making it up to him, you need to fix what went wrong here, which means an open, mature discussion acknowledging the mistakes, and a commitment to doing things different in the future. If done ...
- 211
11
votes
Shared custody father completely overwhelmed, doesn't accept help, what can I do?
You might have to treat the situation like one should for new parents - while they often get offered babysitting, it can go against their instincts of not letting the baby go. So offering relief from ...
- 18.2k
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