Статья об отцах-одиночках из Times (с русскоязычными "подсказками")

Dads can find their inner mum – отцы могут найти внутри себя материнские качества

According to (по словам) a close single mother (мать-одиночка) friend of mine, “All men are emotionally retarded to some degree (недоразвиты в какой-то степени) and therefore (потому) much less well equipped (приспособлены) than women to bring up (воспитывать) children alone.” As a single dad, I don't completely disagree. Despite (не смотря на) a trend to argue otherwise (утверждать обратное), children ideally (в идеале) need a mother and a father to bring them up. But if parents split (расходятся), should the mother automatically be given custody (давать опекунство)? Increasingly (все более) vocal (высказывающиеся) fathers' groups think not. But having been bringing up my kids alone for seven years, I have become very aware of men's limitations (я хорошо осознал ограниченность мужчин) when it comes to (когда речь идет о) trying to be a father and a mother.
“Look at your house,” says my friend. “It's like a cave (как пещера) - devoid of (лишена) soft furnishings (мягкой мебели) and often messy (в беспорядке) as well (к тому же).” I realise now - rather late in the day (поздновато (с иронией)). My way of keeping domestic work to a minimum (мой способ свести работ по дому к минимуму) has been to strip the house of clutter (избавить дом от беспорядочного нагромождения вещей). It is therefore bare (поэтому он пуст/гол).
I fall short (не оправдываю ожиданий/не достигаю цели) elsewhere (в других аспектах) too. Most mums of my acquaintance (знакомых мне матерей) have a strict evening routine (строгий распорядок вечера) - supper, homework, bath, bed. My routine goes haywire (беспорядочным) frequently (зачастую). I like my boys to eat proper (надлежащую/приличную) food, so sometimes I spend too long cooking something wonderful, which means it can be frighteningly close to midnight before we've even had supper (что означает, что мы ужинаем угрожающе близко к полуночи). And too often I've insisted on (настаиваю на) an evening walk or bike ride - which has meant no time for homework. We've then skipped (пропускаем) the bath, or even a wash (and sometimes, I'm ashamed to say (мне стыдно признаться в этом), teeth-brushing), and I've bundled them up to bed (отправляю их в кровать) far too late, minutes after vigorous exercise (лишь через несколько минут после энергичных физических упражнений) - and expected them to nod off immediately (и ожидаю, что они немедленно заснут). “Can you read us a story?” “No! Go to sleep!”
Too often when the boys have fallen over and grazed their knees (разбивали коленки), I've simply told them to get up. I've occasionally (изредка) kissed them in a rather gauche way (довольно неуклюже) but often in the early days I didn't even have plasters in the house. Mother friends of mine would make a massive fuss of (носятся с) their poor wounded soldier (бедным раненым «бойцом») and offer them a choice of cheery coloured plasters (разнообразные пластыри веселой раскраски).
But despite (не смотря на) our handicaps (ограниченность), men do have assets (зд: ценные качества) when it comes to parenting (когда речь идет о родительских обязанностях).
Our DIY (Do it yourself – сделай сам) skills (навыки) are overrated (преувеличены) but our physical strength (физическая сила) is a strength. And when you've got boys that is a great asset. I would possibly be a more limited single father if my teenage children were girls. But they're hulking lads (неуклюжие/неповоротливые парни) who love testing out their ever-increasing strength (постоянно растущую силу) on me. I might be hoovering (пылесосить) when a boy suddenly jumps on me and throws me to the floor.
I floor him. We have a wrestle (борьба). I prove (доказываю) I'm still the house dominant male («доминирующий самец» ). And then return to my hoovering.
Another strength of mine is male recklessness (безрассудство). I've driven across America and Canada with the kids. We've camped around Europe. And we've enjoyed numerous activities (многочисленные виды деятельности) together - anything from football to fishing. We talk all the time as well. I don't know how useful my advice would be for girls but my kids are blokes (парни) and we talk candidly (открыто) about everything.
I'm still pretty poor at multitasking (я до сих пор слабо выполняю несколько задач одновременно). If I'm doing something and someone phones, I give them 100 per cent attention (внимания) (unlike (в отличие от) mothers I know who balance the phone between their chin (подбородком) and shoulder (плечом) and carry on helping (продолжают помогать) with homework).
“You're a much better dad than I could ever be,” my single-mother friend told me. “And you're probably a better dad than most dads ever are. But you're still not a great mum. And kids need a mum first and foremost (прежде всего).” Maybe she's right. But men can find and develop (развить) the mother in them - especially (особенно) when they have inspiring (вдохновляющие) mother friends.