His mother gently explains that although his father would like him very much, raising children is a huge job, and he was just not ready for a job that big. So he went away. But she tells him how very much she wanted him and how happy she is that he is her son. If you have come to terms with your feelings about heading a single parent family, your child most likely will be happy with the answers you supply. Still, every now and then a single parent is caught off guard.
Most little ones start asking questions about a daddy around the ages of four and five.
Start your talk by letting your child know that it is okay to come from a family background different from a friend's or neighbor's, for instance. Some children live with two parents, others with only their mother or a father, and still others may be members of families headed by either grandparents or other relatives, step-parents, friends, or guardians. If your child's father is not safe to be around, you might consider letting your son, for example, know that his feather would love to see him if he was able. It's not safe for us to be around him. I hope, one day, that he gets better.