10 characteristics of deadbeat dads

Deadbeat fathers are in the spotlight again on the Nigerian social media scene because the ex husband of Nollywood actress Ngozi Ezeonu accused her of giving out their daughter in marriage last weekend without his consent.

According to him, his daughter is not married because he believes in the culture and tradition of Anambra people that says a woman doesn’t have the authority to give out her daughter in marriage.

This brings me to my latest topic. I want to talk about the characteristics of deadbeat dads. Yeah, women need to know what to look out for to know if the fathers of their children are deadbeat dads or not.

A deadbeat dad is someone who doesn’t fulfill their parental responsibilities, especially when they evade court ordered child support obligations or custody arrangements.

Here are 10 characteristics of deadbeat dads you can’t miss:

1. They don’t know important details about their children. They don’t know the size of their children’s clothes and shoes. They don’t know the school their children attend or their classes. These are all basic things a good father should know.

2. They make life difficult for the mothers of their children. Deadbeat fathers are bad news. They are good at making life difficult for the mothers of their children who are trying so hard to make their children feel the impact of their absence less.

3. They are clearly absent in the lives of their children physically and emotionally. Deadbeat fathers have little or no relationship with their children because they are not present in these children’s lives. They don’t provide their children with emotional or financial support.

4. They blame their children’s mothers for how bad their lives turn out. These women are to blame for their inability to provide for their children. These women are the reason their children hate them. These women are the reason they can’t make headway in life.

5. They spend time with other people except their children. Deadbeat dads are there for other people but for some weird reason, they are not present for their children. If a man has the ability to see his children and chooses not to, he’s a deadbeat dad.

6. They don’t contribute financially and emotionally to the upbringing of their children. They are always broke. They always don’t have money to take care of their children’s needs.

7. They use their children as weapons to fight their exes. Men who are deadbeat dads use their children against their mothers. They tell their children how terrible their mothers are without pointing out their own failings.

8. They hurt their children with their words and actions. They try to get back at their ex by saying hurtful things to their children. This is not fair. Children hardly forget hurtful words from parents and it may mar them emotionally.

9. They refuse to sacrifice for their children. They put themselves and their needs first. They only care about their personal satisfaction, even if it’s at the expense of the happiness or safety of their own children.

10. They blame their ex for their absence on their children’s lives. While it is true that some women alienate their children from their fathers, deadbeat dads always find ways to make their exes responsible for the poor or non existent relationship that they have with their children.