What Ted Could've Changed: Kramer vs. Kramer- Bryanna Adams

Ted was a workaholic. Initially he only cared for himself and his success rather than caring for his wife and child. He considered himself the bread winner.  He worked so that his wife didn’t have to and he supported his family on his own. The problem with that is that he wasn’t in tune to what was happening with his family. I bet that in the beginning of the movie, Ted wouldn’t have even known Billy’s favorite food or Joanna’s favorite color. He was never really around. I think that in order to be a better father Ted had to actually BE a father, not just a money supplier. He should have spent more time at home in order to form a better relationship with his son, take some of the weight off of Joanna, and get to know the both of them better. I think that also would have saved his marriage in the long run because Ted would have known Joanna was upset and he would have been more accessible to address her problems. He would have been able to help her and she probably never would have left.  By the end of the movie, I did believe that Ted should definitely have had custody of Billy because over those 18 months, the two recreated their lives and formed a really strong relationship with one another.  Yes, Ted made mistakes like causing his job to lose a major client and getting “let go.” But, Ted adapted to a huge life change and did whatever he had to do to keep Billy safe and happy.  The things that happened to him could have easily happened to Joanna as well. There’s no such thing as a perfect parent but Ted definitely grew as a person and as a father during this whole ordeal.