hi jemma. you're definately not the only one out there who's child's father doesn't play an active role in the parenting. i have a son who's 18 months old and, though his dad is around some of the time, for the most part he spends a lot of his time at school. we both agreed that it would be better for him to finish his college career (and i am working on mine as well). he lives about 2 hours from us, and we rarely ever get to see him. it presents a lot of difficulty, not only for me, but for zephyr (my son) as well. z gets confused a lot about who is father is b/c his dad isn't there a lot. he's even called my little brother daddy b/c he's the dominent male role model in zephyr's life. i hope that your child's father starts to play a part in his daughter/son's life. it will be a rewarding experience, indeed. but i'm sure by now you already know that. good luck!