Great article/Why are summers important for fathers without custody

Fathers who don't have custody of their children - either because of a divorce or a breakup with the mother - have a difficult time of it during the school year. Seeing your kids every other weekend is artificial. It doesn't allow enough time to really get to know each other, and there's too much time in between to develop any kind of continuity. There's almost always problems with homework - either it isn't given, or it's dumped on dad, who has to spend all weekend working on it, instead of his relationships with his children.
And those midweek visits! Pick the child up after school, drive home, unpack - eat, watch TV, do homework - pack up, drive back, have big confrontation with mom. Again, everything seems rushed and artificial.
But SUMMER! Aaaaah! Kids are out of school. Work slows down a little. And Dad gets 2 weeks vacation! Wouldn't it be WONDERFUL to spend 2 uninterrupted weeks with your kids. Just you and them. No hassles with mom or new boyfriend or husband. No looking at the clock, counting down until it's time-to-take-back. Actually planning activities with your children and KNOWING they will happen.
Sadly, too many fathers are denied this opportunity. Sometimes, they are just flat out denied contact with their kids. Or Mom puts the children in every imagineable summer activity. Or "sudden plans" come up. Whatever it is - Dad doesn't get to see his kids during the summer. That's wrong. And it's harmful.
What can you do about it? Go to Court.
1. Some states require a parent to pick the summer visitation dates on or before a specific date (like April 1 or May 1). It is a MYTH that if Dad misses his deadline that he waives summer visitation! All it means is that he doesn't AUTOMATICALLY get the dates he wants. You should STILL try to hit your deadline, but if you miss it, you STILL get whatever TIME you are entitled to. This is a PETITION TO ENFORCE PARENTING TIME.
2. Many states have statutes that say that Dad can NOT be denied visitation if he is regularly paying child support. And with child support coming straight out of paychecks more and more, YOU probably are paying your support regularly. If your ex says flat out you won't get time this summer, file a PETITION FOR INJUNCTION to force visitation.
3. Many states also say that parenting time trumps EVERYTHING. Summer camp, cheerleading camp, family trips - EVERYTHING. So if your ex has loaded the kids' summer with every imagineable activity - most of fall squarely during YOUR time with the kids - file a PETITION FOR CONTEMPT and a PETITION FOR INJUNCTION, to get your UNINTERRUPTED time with your kids.
These are YOUR kids, and you don't get a second shot at raising them.
ERIK CARTER is the author of "Aggressive Pleadings For The Non-Custodial Father" (http://familysale.StartYourLifeNow.com) - special SUMMER SALE. He also manages START YOUR LIFE NOW! (http://www.startyourlifenow.com), a website focused on helping you achive EXCELLENCE in ALL areas of your life by helping you to achieve excellence in Business - Family - Fitness - Spirituality - Personal, EXCLUSIVELY featuring "Don't Just Build A List - Build A COMMUNITY" and "Six Temptations Of Jesus Christ."
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Mamma's Baby Daddy's Maybe

Mamma's baby Daddy's maybe is a saying that I heard growing up, the bottom line in this saying is true in a way, because the mother is the one who carry the child and give birth. These days it is good that our science can give us an accurate test to know who the father is, but after the baby is born proof of fatherhood is difficult if the parent do not have a copy of the child's birth certificate or other legal documents that proves that He is the father besides the child calling him daddy. This is a reality for most fathers, weather he can get his child enrolled in school or taking his child to the doctor. We already know that the court system is very unfavorable towards fathers this is why it is so important for fathers or future fathers to make sure that they have a copy of all papers proving fatherhood and also get it notarize in order to avoid any problems. You see families also have a lot to do with keeping a father away from his child, simply because many homes or family's do not have a male influence around the children therefore kids only get one side of the story what ever it maybe. So Fathers make sure that you have these papers it is very important, and it also shoes that you are serious about your childs well being on all levels.

Keeping Our Sons Off The Child Support Merry Go Round

Keeping our sons off the child support merry go round
We all know that the majority of people who owe child support are men, but you know before a man become a man he is first a boy. Fathers and mothers need to teach our sons and daughters about the awesome responsibility of becoming a parent, about the damage that can be caused by choosing the wrong partner to have children. unfortunately many children come into this world unplanned, usually created in the heat of passion. This is why it is so important to at least at all possible try to create a dialogue with your kids. Many parents will say that they want their child(children) to have what they did not have, give them open dialouge smoething that many of our parents did not do.Many of our children will have to pay for poor descions or wrong timing of pregentcy for years to come. Talk to young people and try to help them make the right choices in their lives.

What is the History of child support Laws

Child Support is such an emotional issue, it creates so many ill feelings and emotional burdens whereas it seems to punish all that are involved the fathers the mothers and the child or children involved. Unfortunately there is no easy way to lessen the pain and disappointment of a relationship that has gone sour. Usually the Government and our politicians in general may start off with great intentions of so called serving the people or helping others, but we have to realize that they are people to with frailties and problems to but they seem to forget that they are dealing with people lives and emotions. The present system really needs to be looked at from all different angles, I think that many of the problems that are going on especially in the United States is the demonizing of Fathers even though men over history can also blame themselves for not teaching there sons sexual responsibility, until men do this then the child support dilemma will keep on growing.

Child Support Fairness

A parent who is paying into the child support system should be able to have an option to take care of basic needs directly.

Here are some suggestions to not only help the mother in raising and caring for the children or child but also it gives the non custodial parent a chance to be involved in the child’s or children well being and welfare.

At the present there are gift cards A father or parent should be able to use an electronic card for food and send it to the mother and it will be deducted from whatever payments are made into the system.
This can also be used for clothing.

Part of the payment should also be paid to the utility companies, a portion can go toward lights gas water, rent etc… Utilizing a check or money order with a receipt.

Daycare if a parent agrees that the child should go to Day care then this should be a shared responsibility.

Entertainment: Both parents should share entertainment.

Visitation
A child should not be used as some kind of revenge tool, each parent should be adult enough to agree on times and days that their children should spend.
There is No excuse except for abuse that a parent should not be allowed to spend time with their child or children.
This are just suggestions that can be tweaked and probed into more deeply. This is such an emotional issue. If possible please refrain form how no good He or She is, the purpose here is to not only to try to get a better understanding but work out agreements.
Maybe this will get our politicians to stop using child support as a political tool and really start helping families be families no matter the circumstance.

Now may be once a year or ever six months the father sends the receipts to the court to see if the father is meeting their duty. If not then the father or non-custodial parent has to pay into the old system.