All children need nurturing and they are blessed if they can get it from both father and mother. I find the story of Eli shows that Eli had no excuse. He did not restrain his own sons. Yet he seems to have done a great job raising Samuel who wasn’t his son. Could it be he took more care with Samuel than he did with his own sons? I don’t think so. Eli is guilty of what many parents are guilty of. They indulge their children and let them get away with doing things that they should either stop them from doing or warn them of the consequences. I don’t know about other parents. But I think the Biblical story makes it clear that it wasn’t a lack of attentiveness to his children caused by him trying to fulfill his duties as a prophet. That’s my understanding.