Dealing with father's day

Massive-Fennel9564 · 2026-06-26T23:09:33+00:00

My first father's day alone was rough so I feel you on this one. I spent way too much of it staring at my phone waiting for a call that didn't come, and that just made it worse. What I learned the hard way is that waiting for your kids to make the move puts you in a position where you're always disappointed and they probably don't even realise it. They're not ignoring you on purpose , father's day just doesn't carry the same weight for them as it does for us, especially when the family structure has changed and they're still figuring out what the new normal looks like. What worked for me was taking the pressure off the day completely. I stopped treating it as a test of whether my kids love me and started just reaching out myself with no expectations. A simple text like "hey I was just thinking about you today, hope you're having a good weekend" goes further than you'd think. No guilt trip, no hint that you're hurt, just a genuine moment of connection. And when they said "let's get together soon" I started being the one to actually set the date instead of waiting for them to follow through. Not because it's fair, but because the relationship matters more to me than keeping score. Hang in there man. The fact that you're still showing up and still caring says everything.

Reflog1791 · 2026-06-22T16:17:05+00:00

When I was married Father’s Day was spent running around driving to her parents, maybe my parents if I was lucky.

Now that I’m divorced I get to play golf on Father’s Day. It’s a huge W.

techandgame · 2026-06-22T13:00:53+00:00

Went to see disclosure day, talked with my sister, friends etc. Slept in until 11. Made it work lol

upvotersfortruth · 2026-06-22T07:47:28+00:00

fortunately, my ex prepped me for nothing on father's day throughout the marriage :D

Lopsided_Energy4380 · 2026-06-22T05:39:22+00:00

I try to make it the best day it can be, go out try a restaurant you've been wanting too. Go on hike. From what has helped me through this is finding your way back to yourself. Im slowly getting into my hobbies again. Im reconnecting with old family and friends that my ex tried to cut from my life as she didnt approve of them at all. Im some what lucky as I have my son right now, currently snoring like a grown man after working a 14 hour shift but try to have a good day and do things for you. I would say dont let it hurt that your kids didnt show up but I know it probably does.

Title	Dealing with father's day
Author	Middle-Grapefruit-86
Upvotes	7
Comments	6
Date	June 22, 2026 5:22 AM UTC (1 month ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/Divorce_Men
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/Divorce_Men/comments/1ucboun/dealing_with_fathers_day/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/Divorce_Men/dealing-with-fathers-day.1583357 https://theredarchive.com/post/1583357

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