The Role Of Fathers In Child Parenting

In Victorian times fathers were rarely seen figures whose responsibilities were largely confined to being the family's 'law giver'. By the middle of the twentieth century this situation had changed and fathers were now seen as being much more the family's 'wise breadwinner'.

Things then began to move backwards and the arrival of the 1960s and 1970s saw fathers once again being relegated and being viewed by many as little more than 'sperm donors'. At the start of the twenty-first century it is difficult to define a father's role and it's very much a case of 'ask six people and you will probably get seven opinions'.

In trying to define a father's role today we probably need we have to return to basics and ask a number of questions such as "what effect does the presence (or absence) of a father have on the family?" and "what do children gain from having a father?"

These and other similar questions are however extremely difficult to answer. Nevertheless, most studies do agree on one thing and that is that children do not normally do as well without a father and that such things as poor results in schools, drug abuse, violence and criminal behavior are more often found in children who are raised in homes without a father. But why should this be?

Again, it is very difficult to answer this question in simple terms as there is no single cause and a complex combination of financial, psychological and other factors are clearly involved. Nonetheless, whatever the cause, it seems that children need a father to ensure that they get the best start in life.

Aside from their traditional role as the breadwinner and provider of such necessities as food and shelter, fathers undoubtedly provide a number of other important things such as protection for their daughters and a role model for their sons. But, many people feel that it is a father's role as one half of the parental partnership that is possibly his most important contribution to the family unit.

Children are influenced by everything that they see and hear and observing the roles of their parents interacting with one another and working together children learn a great deal. The manner in which matters are discussed and decisions made and the way in which responsibilities are shared between mom and dad provides the children with a parenting model and teaches them various skills.

This, together with a host of other common experiences in a two parent unit, assists in shaping a child's view of the adult world.

While we could develop this discussion and examine just how the interaction of two parents influences the children in greater detail, things start to get a bit complicated when we begin to take into account such things as the personalities involved and the strength or otherwise of the relationship between the parents.

In the light of this, perhaps the easiest way to answer the question of what a father's role is today is simply to say that the presence of a father is important and that, in most cases, a child will fare better with a father than without one.

Recommended books from

The Expectant Father: Facts, Tips and Advice for Dads-to-Be, Second Edition
by Armin A. Brott
Amazon Price: $8.60
Customer Review: I've been to many baby showers, and of course everyone always brings a gift for the new mom. If you really want to impress, bring something for the dad too! This makes a terrific gift, and will keep the dad from feeling left out of all the hoopla.
 

Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: 10 Secrets Every Father Should Know
by Meg Meeker
Amazon Price: $10.17
Customer Review: This is a well written book, great for new or experienced fathers. There's lots of stuff fathers don't want to know but should (as implied by the title I guess).
 

Geek Dad: Awesomely Geeky Projects and Activities for Dads and Kids to Share
by Ken Denmead
Amazon Price: $11.56
Customer Review: Remember those geeky guys you went to school with? You know, the nerdy ones into dungeons and dragons and the weird sci-fi books and movies? The ones who begged for the 101 Electronics Kits for Christmas? The ones who didn't have an athletic bone in their body? Well, they are grown up now (and most with high paying jobs) and a lot are now dads...
 

Education for exceptional students in Hernando County - Tampabay.com
31 Jul 2010 at 10:06am

Education for exceptional students in Hernando County
Tampabay.com
... Active Parenting Today, Active Parenting of Teens, Active Parenting of the ADHD Child, a Nurturing Fathers program and semiannual parenting institutes. ...

and more »
 
Talk show on parenting! - Times of India
31 Jul 2010 at 6:37am

Talk show on parenting!
Times of India
Parenting is an immensely complex role and no show on TV has explored it yet. During the shoots, I loved meeting the best paediatricians from all over the ...


 
The Father Life Announces New Director of Development - PR.com (press release)
31 Jul 2010 at 2:07am

The Father Life Announces New Director of Development
PR.com (press release)
In that role, Cohen will be interacting with The Father Life's social media presence as well as connecting with companies who want to reach the growing ...

and more »
 
Study: Same-sex couples can thrive as adoptive parents - Washington Post (blog)
27 Jul 2010 at 9:56am

Salon
Study: Same-sex couples can thrive as adoptive parents
Washington Post (blog)
That's when the absence of a mother or father may play a critical role. No surprises here. Unfortunately, some people don't care if children are raised by ...
An End t...