Okay, it's not a bloodbath familicide--for which I am always grateful. But it seems like I'm seeing a LOT of articles like this. "Babysitting" or "stay-at-home" dads who are completely incapable of doing childcare right. Like a lot of (deadbeat) young men these days, they just want to chill. Maybe a little weed and a little World of Warcraft, you know what I'm sayin'? Because the dude either can't or won't get a job, he's drafted into "primary caretaking," which is actually a tough (though emotionally rewarding) job if done right. And because the deadbeat daddy doesn't want to do the job right, the kids are neglected (when they aren't beaten or killed outright because their crying interrupted Daddy's newest video game). Meanwhile, these cases typically also involve an utterly exhausted mom who is trying to be the full-time breadwinner, and do everything at home (including dealing with Daddy's messes).
http://www.kansas.com/2012/02/14/2215667/father-plays-video-games-while.html
Father plays video games while his two young kids try to cross busy street
By Stan Finger
The Wichita Eagle
Published Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2012, at 11:20 a.m.
A 22-year-old man was arrested Monday after officers found him playing video games, with marijuana in plain sight, while his two young children were out trying to cross a busy street nearby, police said.
The two children, ages 4 and 5, were found trying to cross Edgemoor without supervision shortly before 2 p.m. Monday, police said. The 4-year-old was nearly hit by a car.
One of the children led an officer back to a house in the 1700 block of South Edgemoor, near Harry, where their father was found playing video games. A strong odor of marijuana was evident, police said, and marijuana was found in plain view.
The marijuana was seized, the father was arrested on suspicion of child endangerment and drug offenses, and the children were released to their mother.