weekend dad

Noun

weekend dad (plural weekend dads)

1. (derogatory, informal, sometimes) A noncustodial father who has custody of or visitation with his child or children primarily or exclusively on weekends.
   • She and the kids moved to Brentwood, and I continued to see the kids as much as being a weekend dad allowed.1993, Levon Helm, Stephen Davis, This Wheel's on Fire: Levon Helm and the Story of The Band, A Capella Books, published 2013, →ISBN, page 245
   • “I guess what she's saying, man, is that a good weekend dad is a hell of a lot better than no dad at all.”1999, Tara Taylor Quinn, My Babies and Me, Harlequin, →ISBN
2. (derogatory, informal, sometimes) A custodial father whose time with his child or children is limited mainly to weekends.
   • If a dad is commuting to the city to New York and goes to New York on the seven o'clock train and comes home on the seven o'clock at night train, then he is a weekend dad; [he] is not really involved as the primary parent.2004, Gerald P. Mallon, Gay Men Choosing Parenthood, Columbia University Press, →ISBN, pages 128–129
   • If you're a single dad, don't let anyone call you a weekend dad. Interact with your children daily and check up on their schoolwork daily.2011, Edrid E. Tirado, The Dad Guide: A Collection of 1,001 Different Ways to Be a Better Dad, iUniverse, →ISBN