Doesn't mean he can't be a good father to your Ds but it will probably take him some time to grow in to that.
I should add here - His father was a long distance trucker for much of his childhood. My impression is that he grew up longing for his Dad to spend time with him and play with him. Certainly the issue about being criticized stems from his relationship with his Dad - he claims he was pretty critical. (I've never witnessed this, but I know the dynamics of parents with their adult children can be different anyway). To STBX, being a good dad, is really about having fun with the kids and keeping them entertained and up until now he has always committed the lion's share of his free time to doing this with them.
