Let’s say you’re a Man —check, I am

And a father of a teenage daughter- check

And you’re divorced long ago—check

And you have a child who was under 18 at the time of divorce—but the two of you couldn’t agree on custody—check

Well you’re gonna face a custody battle and it may drag on and it may be a battle of he said/ she said.

And the child never appears in court. But it’s all about her.

The Location: the Family Court of your local county.

And in most jurisdictions as a man you’re at a disadvantage.

And the mother will win primary custody and maybe you’ll see your child on weekends or on Wednesdays or half of holidays. And the order won’t likely be enforced if one parent is a serial perjurer and breaker of agreements.

This gives a message of impunity to the parent with the upper hand. And can turn the child into a class A manipulator as well.

Why is that? Why do mothers almost always have the upper hand? Why do we view mothers as the essential parent and fathers as secondary –as adjuncts?

When so many other gender roles and expectations have radically changed?

And what’s this all gotta do with Mental Health?

Everything!

Next episode we’ll see how it deeply affects Mental Health.