You have many titles in your life. At work, you may be boss or associate or trusted employee; in your personal life, you may be brother, neighbor or friend. Until recently, you were also husband. No matter the situation that finally brought about the end of your marriage, you retain the title of father. While you may rejoice that family courts more and more frequently recognize the importance of dads in their children’s lives, you may have concerns about how you will be able to fill that role as a single parent.
Like many fathers, you may find answers from other men in similar circumstances. Fortunately, the internet allows access to this shared wisdom from far beyond your home in Texas. That is why more fathers are turning to social media for guidance and support as they navigate the challenges of parenting as newly-divorced fathers. Anonymous forums and social media offer outlets for fathers to discuss new issues as they make sense of their developing parenting roles. In North Texas, Texas Fathers for Equal Rights maintains an office in Dallas County close to the Dallas County Courthouse.
How does social media help single dads?
You may have more to share than you realize. Researchers discovered that men are finding new ways to combine the traditional strengths of fatherhood with the necessary aspects of single parenting. For example, if you are handy with home improvements or renovations, you may include your children in these projects. Your children will learn practical skills while bonding with you. Further, you can share your experience with other dads and gain ideas from them through social media forums.
Some interesting facts researchers discovered about how dads use social media include the following:
- Dads are less likely than moms to share personal content about their children online, such as photos and milestones.
- Fathers tend to use private Facebook groups for support and advice about basic parenting.
- Men were less likely to discuss private matters in a platform like Facebook and preferred more anonymous sites like Reddit for personal discussion.
- Fathers were more willing to seek online advice about controversial matters, like circumcision or vaccinations, because they could be honest without risking the backlash from family or friends.
- In online forums, dads discussing their efforts at traditional mom tasks, such as cooking and cleaning, may relate to those tasks in terms they are more comfortable with.
Using online forums to gain support and advice is one way in which many fathers are stepping boldly into their new responsibilities. You may have had limited use of social media to this point, but now may be the time to discover sites that can provide you with information and advocacy that will give you confidence as a divorced parent.
However, while you may find wonderful parenting advice online, it is not advisable to rely on social media for advice on legal matters. If you are facing child custody issues, you may choose to benefit from the guidance of an experienced Board-Certified Family Law expert attorney in Collin County, Dallas County, or Denton County, Texas or elsewhere throughout the State of Texas.