I think boys in general need more male mentors/role models regardless of how active a father is. Most schools are heavily skewed in terms of gender percentages for teachers - you need guys around who understand that most boys don’t dig “circle time”, that “roughhousing” is normal and not inherently bad, etc. My older boy’s main caregiver aside from me is a woman, but I have a substitute/fill in who is a big, black dude with dreadlocks. My son loves hanging out with him - funniest stories are when my son goes with him to their regular cookouts/reunions. My son eats ALL the foods and the aunties all dote on him.
I’ve got 2 boys with severe autism - non-verbal, need constant supervision, etc. They both lived solely with me for almost 10 years until mom took the younger one to live with her due to my older boy’s increased behavior issues. We only live 2 miles apart so not a big deal. That said, I am a rarity in that there aren’t many single dads who do this - it’s usually the mom who takes the heavy load. People like you and your SO who are there to lend support are ******* angels.