There are certain responsibilities we all have in life and there are additional responsibilities that we choose to adopt. These responsibilities are not optional, that’s why they’re called responsibilities. One of those additional responsibilities is fatherhood. As a man, you didn’t just accidentally shoot your man goo into a woman, there were decisions made in the lead up to that act. You chose to have sex with that woman and you chose to pump your baby batter into her baby maker.

It’s true, there are women out there who use nefarious methods to capture the semen of a man and use it to bare his progeny but we all know that’s not the standard (if you want to read more about these sorts of women, check out hownottobeacrazybitch.com). The standard practice that leads to a child being born is that two people get together, bump uglies until it’s splurty time and, nine months later, you’ve got yourself a newborn.

Once that newborn is on the scene, the bullshit has to stop. That kid doesn’t give two shits if your life is difficult and you don’t feel like you’re ready. That kid doesn’t even give a shit if you’ve been a massive douche your whole life up until the point said kid was born. The only thing that kid cares about is having a father who owns up to the responsibilities of being a father.

This video is from a corny 90s sitcom but this particular scene disturbingly accurately conveys the feelings of a young man who’s grown up without his father around.

I know that’s just a snippet from a TV show but it really cuts to the heart of the matter. To leave a kid behind is to forever make them feel unwanted. It is to leave them with a time-bomb of emotional turmoil that might explode later in life, triggered by a seemingly unrelated incident. It is right up there with the most selfish things a person can do to another human being.

Please don’t abandon your children. They deserve the very best you can do for them and they’ll love you no matter how many mistakes you make, so long as you stick around.

Massive douche tip: Own up to your responsibilities.