Fathers are Important for Kids

Tips to Enrich Your Child's Life!

Fathers are integral to raising happy, healthy children. Fatherhood is much more than footing bills or an annual Father's Day card. It is the stuff childhood memories are made of. Parenting is one job meant for two people, not really for one person multi-tasking like mad. Raising children well calls for enormous responsibilities and this is easier when two reasonably intelligent adults embark on it as a joint venture.

A Father's Role

Fathers need not be considered just providers and protectors, though these time-honoured roles are the first things that come to mind when speaking of fatherhood. In the modern context however, it has become essential that fathers have a close emotional bond with their children rather than be some distant figure that comes home in the evenings and retires behind a newspaper or gets hypnotized by the TV. What's worse for kids would be the weekend Dad who is more a guest than a parent.

Father and Child. Courtesy Terrance David

Father Child Relationship

A father and child relationship is as important as that between the mother and child. It is important for fathers to demonstrate their love for their child, literally spell it out so they get it. This breeds enormous self-confidence in children. They know they have a big guy who loves them and looks out for them. Such a Dad is far more significant for a child's emotional health than the one who pays bills and keeps away. Fatherhood is a rich, rewarding experience for the man and a huge blessing for the children lucky to receive it. 

An absent father figure is a silent trauma that children suffer alone. While their childhood is marked by schoolyard bullying, stuttering, low academic skills, inability to form friendships, and depression, their adult lives are marked with highly problematic behaviour that is rarely traced back to their fatherless childhood and formative years. Some of these are...

• High insecurity
• Low self-esteem
• Violent behaviour
• Lack of social skills 
• Drug Addiction
• Inability to commit to deep, strong relationships
• Domestic violence
• Anger management issues
• Depression 

Of course, there are the champs who work it all out and go on to have normal, productive lives, but that's a minority. Others may not be so lucky and may get caught up in self-destructive behaviour patterns that's hard to escape from. 

Fatherhood is Fun

Fathers hand down more than quirky genetics such as baldness and funny toenails; they teach life skills from bicycling to camping survival guides. They inspire you with wild tales, hilarious jokes, and impossible anecdotes. Fathers are there to cheer you on in the sports fields, have you in a bear hug when you most need it, and be a pillar of strength even if they're usually snoring on the sofa. As you can see, his absence in a child's life would be a huge vacuum that's hard to fill. 

Childrearing takes both parents whether they stick to traditional roles or work out new ones that work for them. However, what's really important is that parents put up a united front and make it clear to their kids that they are a single unit. All the gifts and comforts you shower on your kids mean nothing if you can't give them a peaceful, harmonious home to grow up in. The relationship that Dad and Mum have is what set the agenda for the kid's future relationships. Like the saying goes the best thing a father can do for his kids is love their mother.