I’m sorry you had to go through that so young. I was in my thirties and hadn’t seen my dad in decades when he died and it still affected me. I couldn’t imagine going through it at that age.

I’m not so sure on some that. There is a reason Gen x was also called the latchkey generation. We pretty much had no parental support. Either because both parents worked or were single parent households.

Prior to the 70s, dual income families or single parents were the exception, not the norm. As this changed rapidly through the 70s and 80s, child care and support systems did not evolve to keep pace. As these have become the norm, society as a whole has had a chance to catch up, which could be why you see more dads stepping up. Or most likely a combination of this and what you said.

At least in my case, I am aware of how absent my father was and how it affected me, and I chose to not be that way with my kids. I’d like to think others feel the same way.