But he lived w/his parents and his mom helped him tend to the kids. She fixed all the meals and did their laundry and would spend time w/them as he slept in (for no other reason than to sleep in).
Then he lived w/me. I helped him tend to the kids when/if they were at our house. If not at our house, then he had the kids at his parents house (which occured more than our house since he would drive 5 hrs to see them and stay w/his parents for the weekend).
I honestly don't know how he is with his kids on his own, because he's never been that way. He's always had someone else there. He's a nice guy and a hard worker but needs someone to tell him what to do that's why the Army was so good for him(his mom's words, not mine). He had a repelling accident that messed up his back and was given a disable discharge.
From what I've seen of him and know of his temperment with his kids, I would not leave a child who can not take care of themselves alone w/him. Living next door to my parents (I'm the youngest of their 7 kids), they witnessed things that I didn't and would voice their concerns to me. And then I would have to "talk" to him about his behavior. There were times in the relationship that I would yell "I'm not your mother".
To summerize . . . With supervision he can be a good father. Without supervision I don't trust him as a father. Keep in mind that I've witnessed/been told of instances over the 5+ years that aren't written here and play a large role in my decisions.
Elizabeth
Southern Illinois