"I Don't Know How Much More I Can Take": How Divorced Nonresidential Fathers Manage Barriers to Involvement?

This grounded theory study examined how 20 newly divorced, nonresidential fathers believe their physical involvement with their children allows them to maintain an Involved Father identity. Their identities, however, were negatively influenced by five barriers—Rushed Time; The Legal System; Geographic Distance; Negative Perception of Child Support; and Higher Conflict Former Spouse Relationships. Finally, fathers described four ways they were able to reframe their barriers, which negated their negative influence: Reframing Priorities; Reframing Time; Reframing the Relationship with Former Wives; and Reframing Fathers’ Needs. The findings suggest that divorced nonresidential fathers’ physical involvement with their children is maintained by the ability to reframe barriers and not by the number of barriers fathers identify.