@Hollahollara I still hold that the attitude overall is doing a LOT of harm that we don’t really acknowledge. Lots of relationships that could help children from male family members are done, because it’s not worth the risk, however small, for both sides. They’ve effectively convinced everyone that guys are universally nothing but diddlers, while the men avoid any untoward appearances by ignoring kids altogether.
Sorry kid with no dad, no fishing trip with the uncle for you because mom watched too many horror stories on dateline. Have fun learning to be a healthy, confident, self-assured boy after mom spends a lifetime trying to bend you into the shape of a daughter without the give and take of a natural marriage to raise you. (don’t worry though, she’ll patch up any errors with prescription drugs)
As it is now, I always have to carefully ensure I’m always in plain sight or w/ the gf when the kids are over, no matter how above board I act I just don’t trust other people, and it’s very easy risk prevention to just make sure everyone’s all together. There are projects I’m working on that they’ll ask to learn where I just think “nah, you’ve already come over, if you do it too much it might look like I’m anything but begrudgingly putting up with you and that’s a bad look.” The paranoia is just as drilled into me as it is everyone else.