Your Family

By DANIEL S. LEVY

STOP KICKING THE SEAT! Tired of playing Geography during those long family trips? Ford and Oldsmobile are offering frustrated parents extra ways to keep their squirmy kids occupied. Some of their cars and minivans contain entertainment units. Not only will the little ones be able to watch the hottest Blockbuster release, but they can also hone their skills at Super Mario Brothers and Zelda. It sure beats having them ask, "Are we there yet"?

STOLEN MOMENTS Most divorced fathers care deeply about their kids and pay child support. Yet 4.5 million of them say their ex-wives block them from contact with their children. While these so-called deadbolted dads say courts have turned a deaf ear to their plight, backing for them is growing. Groups like the American Coalition for Fathers & Children have been lobbying legislatures for better access and visitation laws. They also distribute manuals that teach dads their rights and offer tips on such topics as finding a good lawyer.

HELLO, I MUST BE GOING Feel that you're never around to see your kids? You're not alone. The President's Council of Economic Advisers recently quantified what plenty of folks have observed anecdotally. The rise in two-earner families, as well as single-parent families, results in parents' spending on average 22 fewer hours with their children each week than they did in 1969. That's almost a full day per week of lost parental attention. Fathers are actually spending slightly more time with their children--about two extra hours a week--than they did 30 years ago. But that's more than offset by all the family time lost by moms who work outside the home.

--By Daniel S. Levy