Father’s Day without a dad… Any special tips for getting a kid (8) through Father’s Day...

BlueVeins · 22-25

I don't know jack shit about raising kids, but that sounds like a nice time to do something a little bit special. If you both have bikes, maybe you could go out for a ride together and get ice cream?

SunshineGirl · 36-40, F

You're doing just the right thing by using the day to celebrate the best male role model in her life 🙂

My dad was mainly absent from my childhood. He came to mean a lot to me in later life, but nothing at all to my sisters 😔

4meAndyou · F

Fathers who just walk out on their kids suck. I can understand if they never want to see the mother again, but it demonstrates a lack of caring and humanity that I abhor for them to do the same to their own children.

I think you should have a talk with her about all the "fathers" she will meet in her life. Respected teachers and professors, for example. Men whom she admires because they have wonderful qualities of kindness and caring for lots of different people around them.

midnightrose · F

That's something the school should take into consideration at school because all families are different. Not all families have dads and some don't have good relationships with their dads. I think you've handled it well thus far. I grew up without my real father in my life and father's day was celebrated with the man who adopted me. Make it special for her and allow her to decide who the father figure is in her life.

JestAJester · 31-35, M

I would push her in the direction of doing something for your dad since hes like a grandpa to her. Closest to a father figure she'll have. I think its important for children to have a male and female role model. Why not him? I don't know the details but I would involve him in her life frequently. She's too young to understand why her dad isn't there

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DrWatson · 70-79, M

This is hard, for lots of families.

But your question brings to mind the following story.

I live in Minnesota. Our daughters' grandparents were in New Jersey and Wisconsin.

One day, her school had "Grandmother's Day", where kids invited their grandmothers to come for lunch. We live in an area where most extended families are local, so for most kids this was not a problem.

So our daughter asked if the woman who babysat her could be her "Minnesota Grandma!" It all worked out great.

Maybe, in the future, there will be someone who can be something like a father figure for your girl.

Strictmichael75 · 61-69, M

How sad
You father, her «grandfather « is a father
It’s really difficult 😞
So sad
Hugs

sspec

Let her get her choicest stuff. Indulge her and later, share about him with her.

Later, if she is willing, you can take her to the nearest orphanage and acquaint her with those kids who crave affections but get None.
Truth should be shared at the earliest for the kids to grow tough. Especially such ones.

TheRascallyOne · 31-35, M

Uncles or grandpa

REMsleep · 41-45, F

Kids love the truth. Tell her that lots of kids don't have dads unfortunately but that she's lucky because you two are so close and that some kids have no body.
Explain that some adults make mistakes in life like her dad but that we can't control others but we can only control how we handle the situation.
Remind her that each family looks very different and tell her how much she is loved. Tell her that some dads are bad so in alot of cases it might be best to not envy them because we just don't know if having him around would be better.

Zonuss · 41-45, M

Have you tried to get in touch with him.