Sir, – I have just read "Why don't parents ask for help?" (Health + Family, September 13th) and think it should have been headlined "Why don't mothers ask for help?"
Is it the case that fathers father but don’t parent? Perhaps if they did, mothers wouldn’t feel like parenting is their sole responsibility and might not need to ask for help?
Perhaps if we were to take a look at those families that are thriving, we might find that the father is more hands-on and emotionally involved?
Not once in the article was any father mentioned, which leaves me with the sneaking suspicion that it could be a main reason why “parents” resist calling in outside help.
I am not saying that there are not great fathers out there, because there are, but it appears that we’ve a long way to go when a parenting article in 2016 makes no reference to them whatsoever. – Yours, etc,
ANNE LAWLOR,
Dublin 3.