but he wasn't an attentive father by today's standards. Back then, it probably wasn't as big of a deal.
He hated his career and used painting his little army men and getting together with other guys to play his little games to forget about work. Many people have hobbies. A guy I work with spent a lot of time on golf courses or in bars rather than spending time with his children when they were young. Good people do that sort of thing.

I'm on the opposite, crazy end. I've been a father for over 28 years and my youngest child is a 9 year-old girl. Other than watching football, spending time with my family is my only hobby. For me, that's fun.
My daughter is in cheer. She has 11 hours of scheduled practice each week at her gym. That's where I go for fun.
I loved teaching my boys how to catch a football or other things like that.
With my daughter, I love helping her stretch every day to improve her flexibility and strength. She's 60 pounds of lean muscle with abs I will never have. I love working with her.

But, it's a different era and not all parents are as nutty about that stuff as I am.

My father-in-law is a great guy. He just needs alone time. There are other people, like me, who don't need that.