Absentee parents, what are they thinking?

As a group we always discuss issues that come up with our parenting, we talk out specifics, then we share them with you all. While discussing an issue for this post, something happen to one of the member's of our group. From that incident promoted a discussion that goes beyond one blog post, so we will devote the next few post to talk about absentee parents. Seeing how we have this group we thought we could give you several different perspective's of this issue. So to start us off is the member that this personally affected: William. As you might remember he is a 32 year old divorced father of 2 children, and this is his message on the subject: "I have been divorced for 3+ years now and have had my kids that whole time, so the subject of absentee parents hits home for me.  Men usually get the dead beat rap, but it seems that more and more mothers are taking on this roll.  It is very hard, especially on the kids , to deal with having a parent that never comes around, or doesn't act the least bit interested in what their children are involved in.  I need look no further than my own situation to see this.  I've seen a parent that is so consumed with self, that she has even forgotten that she has responsibilities to her children.  This kind of behavior is very hard on the children for many reasons.  Our children start to wonder if there's something wrong with them, or what they did to alienate themselves from the distant party.  It's our job as the responsible party to put our kids first and try to get these dead beats to come around and realize that their roll is vital to the growth of these children.  The pain that they cause these kids is detrimental and can scar for life.  Kids didn't ask to be here, we as the adults made that decision for them.  If you didn't want the responsibility, you shouldn't have done the deed in the first place.  All that our children really want from us, after all, is our time and affection.  These absent parents either don't understand that, or they just don't care.  I've also learned going through this struggle that, as the old saying goes, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.  So if you've tried many times to tell a dead beat what they need to hear, and they don't listen, it's on you to make sure your kids have as many positive roll models around them as possible.  The company you keep will help mold your children more than you might know.  Keep your heads up single parents.  I feel your struggle!"