Cryptic crossword clue
Dad gets torn apart with time — condition of having children 9

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word PARENTAGE

I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
P
A
R
E
N
T
A
G
E

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "condition of having children" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case condition of having children = parentage.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does PARENTAGE mean?

PARENTAGE noun
  1. The identity and nature of one's parents, and in particular, the legitimacy of one's birth.
  2. The social quality of one's class in society.
  3. Origin; derivation

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