Term Papers on “I WANT TO LIVE WITH DADDY!”

Term Paper Title	“I WANT TO LIVE WITH DADDY!”
# of Words	2366
# of Pages (250 words per page double spaced)	9.46

“I WANT TO LIVE WITH DADDY!”

     In 1981, Edward McNamara lost a suit for custody of his daughter, Katie.  Although the court
described him as “a good parent who could provide a devoted and loving home for the child,” the state of
California gave full custody to the mother.  Women historically have been awarded custody of their child
automatically, as if only a female possesses the skill and knowledge of child rearing.  Mothers are now
working out of the home just as many hours as the fathers, so time away from the home should not be used
as a factor in custody cases.  Another reason the father deserves a fair shot at custody of his child is
the fact the child is genetically made up of fifty percent of the mother and fifty percent of the father.
In some cases, the father is the better of the two parents, because he may be more loving and nurturing
to the child.  There are many circumstances in which the father should receive custody of his child.  For
too long, custody of a child by divorce has been determi!
ned by the gender of the parent instead of who is best qualified.
     Long ago, during the “chattle years,” which are the years when the American father owned
everything including the house, furniture, and children.  When a divorce was granted, the father kept all
his belongings, including the child, because the child was needed to help the father

                                                  Matichuk 2
work around the house.  Soon the “tender years” slowly evolved.  Since the child and the mother did not
gain any legal rights, the infant’s need for nurturing began to be apparent.  Subsequently, the court
realized the infant’s need and began awarding custody to the mother.  In the late 1800’s, the “tender
years” expanded.  The “tender years” were viewed as a “mother as caretaker, father as breadwinner”
pattern (Hill, 38).  After the “tender years,” the industrial revolution took place and changed the
normal family life.  The mother still stayed at home doing the housework, cooking, and taking care of the
child.  However, the father no longer just worked on the farm; he earned the family’s living in factories
and shops away from home.  Both mother and father worked long, hard days.  The mother had brown soap, a
scrub board, a hand wringer, and a foot sew machine.  The father labored ten to eleven hours a day at a
minimum and did not have much contact with his child (Victor, 54!
).  Neither the mother nor the father changed the nature or place of work when the rare divorce occurred.
The mother remained in the family home and continued to take care of the child while the father moved out
of the home.  Even though the father moved out of the home, he was still required to support the home he
left.  The father continued his work at the place of employment so he can make monthly payments to his
ex-wife.  The monthly  payments were the means of how the father took care of the child.  The father,
still required to support the home he left, was usually denied all rights pertaining to his child too.
Two particular rights the father was denied included, the right to the child’s health and school records.
     In the early 1980’s, the fathers began fighting for equal rights and custody of their children.
Since the number of mothers holding a full-time job increased from 21.1% to 31.1% (“Families”), fathers
thought they had an equal right to their children.  Besides the full-time job
                                                  Matichuk 3
increasing, the divorce rates increased too.  Current patterns show that more than half of all marriages
constructed during the 1980’s would end in divorce in which 95% of the mothers would receive the children
(“Families”).  Before the 80’s, if a custody case went to trial, the child automatically went to the
mother.  The courts felt the mother could provide a more stable home since she was physically present in
the home.  The courts upheld that the father would provide enough money to raise the child, so the mother
would not have to work outside the home.  However, times changed, and the mothers wanted to break with
tradition and have a chance of developing care...

This is ONLY a preview of the article. If you would like to view the entire document, you must subscribe to Digital Term Papers. Please register below now!

Digital Term Papers has over 63,000 essays, term papers, and book notes online. Many paper sites will charge you hundreds of dollars for a single paper. Digital Term Papers only charges $14.95 for a one month membership with instant account activation!

Don't waste anymore time! Join NOW!!!

1 Month (automatic renewal) ($14.95)

3 Months (automatic renewal) ($29.95)

6 Months (one-time billing) ($39.95)

Pay by: