Am I a bad father? (Page 2)

Funniest post of the month! 

You're spending Saturday with your family and you sound like a good dad.  Go play poker!  And good luck.

It's fathers day, you should get a new set of race wheels, breakfast in bed and the poker tournament....

You see - you have to watch what you do in these forums.  The eyes are everywhere.

Playing poker on Father's Day does not make you a bad father if that's what you want to be doing.  I think it was about 2 or 3 years ago I met up with some friends to go for a long bike ride in the mountains on father's day.  Started early and was really enjoying myself until I started seeing families having picnics.  Made me miss my kids and I finished my ride early to be home with them.  Maybe it was guilt.  Anyway, the way I look at it we're father's 365 days a year.  If a father wants to take the one day of the year dedicated to him to play poker, ride their bike, whatever, he should do it!  Just don't try it on Mother's Day.

There is no bad father, just poor choices.

Hey, if the wive tells you to "go to the card tournament" without a hint of sarcasm, then go.  If she says "do what you want", then that's where I would need to read into that.  Hmmmmmmmm.

I'll be facing some guilty dilemma, too.  Thanks for the reminder.

That is the funniest post I've read in awhile.  Well done.   

I am a firm believer that it is essential for parents to define themselves beyond just merely a parent.  This does not mean minimizing the parental role, but parents need to have more of a defined life for themselves.  In pyschology terms, you can't lose your "identity" to that of your "role."

Children learn by a myraid of ways, one of the strongest being by example.

Plus, it is a product of "quality" of time with your children, not "quantity."

Good luck with the tournament.

I haven't read all the responses, but I'd so do it. My gift to my husband is whatever he wants. If that means he's standing in a stream somewhere off the face of the earth, then I'm escorting him to the door. The kids won't mind.

Play some cards guilt free and have a great day!

Dude, really? All those things? Really? All of them? Wow. One of these days I'm gonna have to learn how to do my own laundry, then I really won't need her anymore.

Ok gotta be a little different here. Have you asked your kids? As much as you might think father’s day is about you it's not, not when your kids are young. Without your kids you are not a dad. It is their opportunity to show you what you mean to them. Kids at those ages often won’t understand the subtleties of showing dad you appreciate him by letting him go away. They may feel robbed of the opportunity to do something loving for you in an active sense. My son wanted to take me out to dinner for Mother's day as a date; it meant a great deal to him to spend that time just being mom and son. Think about it and talk to you kids before you decide to go to a card game. Pretty soon you will just be their stupid dad who doesn’t' know anything but how to make their teenage lives difficult. Enjoy what you have now before it's gone.

Just something to think about.

It's your Ace day.  Do what you want.  I spent Mother's Day on a LONG ride.  If your feeling guilty go to breakfast with the kids before you go.

Enjoy your day.

(sigh) I wasn't given much of a choice this year.  The wife and son flew out to California this morning to spend the week with her brother.  Her nephews are moving up in school.  One graduated 8th grade and one "graduated" 6th grade.  Apparently this is a big deal so I'm alone in an empty house for father's day this year. I could have gone with but our house is on the market and I didn't want to spend the money.

I was going to take my bike out and ride but we've got yet *another* thunderstorm moving in.