Last October, Billy Flynn Gadbois, a lawyer from Boston, woke up early, got flowers and a card, and helped his kids make breakfast to celebrate his wife's birthday.
This would be a pretty normal situation for most families, but Gadbois and his children's mother are divorced. In a Facebook post about the day, Gadbois says "per usual someone asked me why the hell I still do things for her all the time. This annoys me. So [I'll] break it down for you all."
Gadbois says that it's important to set a good example for his two sons, and how he treats their mother is a part of that. He adds that the way parents treat each other can affect how children think about relationships.
I think even more so in my case because we are divorced. So if you aren't modeling good relationship behavior for your kids [...] rise above it and be an example. This is bigger than you."
Gadbois' post struck a chord with parents, who shared their own experiences co-parenting after a divorce.
Gadbois told Today that he understands not every divorced couple is as friendly as he is with his ex-wife. "It takes work to get the relationship to the point where you can co-parent like this," he said.
"We just think it's really important to show each other respect and care in front of the kids. Kids want to take care of their parents, and they can't do it alone. So if it's Mother's Day and the kid doesn't have anything to give to his mom... that doesn't feel so great."
And for the record, Gadbois says that his wife does the same thing for him when it's his birthday.
