True, but it's not a choice made in a vacuum. Often the context is: I'm the only one making enough money to support the kids, so I have to work for this to wor

True, but it's not a choice made in a vacuum. Often the context is: I'm the only one making enough money to support the kids, so I have to work for this to work out at all, and I can't afford day care. So for the sake of the kids the mother gets custody. "Choice," true---but not free and uninfluenced, as you imply.