Children's interests/mothers' rights: the shaping of America's child care policy

Abstract

respect displayed by the CO-parents for each other. Failure of the shared parenting experience is most often cited as a result of financial considerations, however. This occurs when the couple abandons their practice of shared parenting, particularly when one parent (often the male) is able earn more money as the sole breadwinner than ifboth parents work part-time. In addition, Ehrensaft found that men in shared parenting households are more likely entertain fantasies about adopting the traditional model ofparenting. Ehrensaft discovered that since a woman's desire for shared parenting appears be the prime impetus in adopting this parenting style, failure of CO-parenting often results in divorce. Interestingly, even in households where shared parenting is successful, gender inequalities between the behaviours of mothers and fathers are apparent. A core difference between men and women's approaches parenting is the issue of engagement. The mothering self of a woman is intermingled with all of her parts. This contrasts with fathers for whom parenting is something to be done. As a result, men who seek balance work, parenting, and time for themselves tend be more successful than women, since it is easier for them do all three compared women who attempt be all three. Hence, guilty feelings associated with separation from a child are far more common among women than men. When a woman leaves her child, she leaves behind an integral part of herself. When a man leaves his child he simply stops what he is doing-the loss ofthe child's presence does not pose a threat his core being.