Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Many Single Fathers Treading Unfamiliar Territory

Aired June 15, 2001 - 10:18   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: This weekend, people across the country will take time out to honor their dads for Father's Day, giving them ties they will never wear. The occasion may be particularly special for some dads, though. New census figures show a dramatic rise in the number of single fathers. This relatively new trend means that many dads are treading in some unfamiliar territory.

CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta with that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN WILLIAMS, SINGLE PARENT: Don't go that high now.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In many ways, John Williams is a typical 29-year-old. He plays with his children, loves sports and is even handy in the kitchen. What makes John unique is that he's raising two kids alone.

JOHN WILLIAMS, SINGLE FATHER: It's awesome, and it has it's, you know, it has its good days and it has its bad days. But just to see their happiness, you know, is priceless to you.

GUPTA: But there is a price, a physical price. After working a full day, Williams, who is divorced and says he has primary custody, will rush home to play full-time dad -- and mom.

JUSTIN WILLIAMS: I hurt my knee.

WILLIAMS: I mean sometimes it gets tiring. You know, like today I had a long day when I got home from work, but you know, I got to prepare stuff, got get them ready. I can cook, I clean, I do the "mom thing."

GUPTA: The children visit their mother, who lives in another state, on holidays and during the summer. Still, they pay an emotional price.

JUSTIN WILLIAMS: Well, it feels like something is lost inside and that something is my mom. And it's very hard for them and us.

GUPTA (on camera): John Williams is not alone. While single moms outnumber single dads by more than nine to one, recent census figures have shown that single dads have increased by more than 60 percent over the last 10 years. Even so, many still question the likelihood of success in a single father household.

GEOFFREY GREIF, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND: These dads are put into sort of a no-man's land right now. People think they're extraordinary people because they're raising their kids and they're so involved. But at the same time, people look at them and assume that they can't do it alone.

GUPTA (voice-over): And assume the children will grow up troubled. But while the prevalence of delinquent children is higher among divorced parents, Dr. Geoffrey Greif, author of " The Daddy Track," sees some positives.

GREIF: My research shows that over time these young children, as they grow up to be adults, are more apt to play a hands-on involved role in the family than are children that are raised in a more traditional sort of setting.

GUPTA: And, Greif says, "It's important to preserve the parent/child relationship."

GREIF: What children need is a father and not a friend. Children can find their friends elsewhere, but they only have one father.

GUPTA: John Williams knows all too well. He is that "one" father and is proving every day what it takes to be a successful single dad.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: And John Williams' story is getting some recognition. He received the Father of the Year Award from the Concerned Black Clergy of metropolitan Atlanta. Actually, that will occur tonight. I hope we haven't spoiled anything for anybody, but we wish to offer our congratulations to him and to his family, for that matter.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com