What every newly divorced dad should know

Michael Sinel, MD, Author and Assistant Clinical Professor at UCLA, shares advice for newly divorced dads on the importance of staying involved with their kids
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What every newly divorced dad should know

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What every newly divorced dad needs to know is that it's very very critical that your child continues to feel your love for them and that they see you wanted to stay very active in their life no matter how difficult it may be and if that means fighting for more and more time for them as difficult as it might be with the legal system or as little time as you may get to them it's critical they see that you cherish that time and that they’re the most important thing in your world because as many times as for a dad they have very little time with their child they have to make that time the most important time because it has a long term impact in the child and the child will cherish it. Children don't want to feel abandoned by a parent that will set them up for a very difficult life in their future relationships and if they see a father fighting for more time it will benefit them greatly. Dads also have to know that their now no longer just the dad, when they're with the child they have to be more of a full parent so it might have been a working dad that's used to coming home playing with the kid and not having responsibilities and taking them out to Disneyland and now it's about when you're with me and my house there are rules. You have to be more than a friend you have to also be a parent and it's often very difficult for dads to make that transition because the mom were active in school and the moms took them for their medical care so you really have to tune in being responsible as a dad now, as a complete parent and getting very involve in their life and of you have a little girl you need to learn about drawing and dolls and things that you might not have come might not have done naturally, but you are now the parent when are with them and it's very important to realize the distinction in that role.

Michael Sinel, MD, Author and Assistant Clinical Professor at UCLA, shares advice for newly divorced dads on the importance of staying involved with their kids

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Michael Sinel, MD

Dad & Assistant Clinical Professor, UCLA

Michael Sinel is an assistant clinical professor at UCLA, and author of two books. He practices Yoga and lives in Santa Monica with his family. 

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