Fathers ~ The Key to a Child’s Well Being
I clearly remember the first two weeks of our first child’s life. Brad was just getting ready to start a new career and he had two full weeks home with us before he began his new adventure. I watched a husband turn into a Father and boy did he fall head over hills for our little tiny daughter.
This was the guy who would sometimes state he would be ok with never having children come into our family. I personally think that was the tough guy talking, trying to take pressure off of me since I already felt guilty for being the “broken one”. But watching Brad hold Brenley for the first time and watching him hold her every single moment he could I knew he found a new love and I was at peace!
Fathers are important in this world where truth is taught to be lies and lies to be truth. There are special things only a Father can do for their child. Texas A&M University lists 20 reasons why a child needs an active Father. “Fathers play a critical role in the development of their children. The latest research indicates that fathers who are actively involved in raising their children can make a positive and lasting difference in their lives. In contrast, this same research reveals a number of potentially negative outcomes for children whose fathers are not involved. Listed below are 20 reasons why your child needs you to be an active father.”
1. Let’s the child know they are loved.
2. Provides the child with greater financial resources.
3. Provides the child with a positive male role model.
4. Provides the child with emotional support.
5. Enhances the child’s self-esteem.
6. Enhances the child’s intellectual development.
7. Provides the child with guidance and discipline.
8. Gives the child someone to play with.
9. Provides the child with someone to talk to when they have questions.
10. Increases the child’s chances for academic success.
11. Provides the child with an alternative perspective on life.
12. Lowers the child’s chances for early sexual activity.
13. Lowers the child’s chances for school failure.
14. Lowers the child’s chances for youth suicide.
15. Lowers the child’s chances for juvenile delinquency.
16. Lowers the child’s chances for adult criminality.
17. Provides the child with a sense of physical and emotional security.
18. Facilitates the child’s moral development.
19. Promotes healthy gender identity in the child.
20. Helps the child learn important life skills.
While TV Sitcoms depict fathers as being couch potatoes with a low IQ it is clear from this list Fathers are incredibly important to the wellbeing of their children. The National Center for Fathering has a great online article titled “5 Things Every Kid Must Get From Dad”. In it is states “Children thrive when they have an involved Father – someone who knows them, loves them, guides them and helps them achieve their destiny.”
One thing I love about my own Father is his “I believe in you” attitude. He has always taught me I could do anything. He has always believed in me and has always taken time for me. Some of my most precious memories of my college years isn’t of college…it is of my Father sitting at the kitchen table with me late in the night and we just talked about whatever I wanted. I love that about my Dad!
I admire the way my husband, Brad, takes the role of provider and protector very seriously and is very active in our children’s lives. This has become especially important as our two oldest children (daughters) have become teenagers. Boys are coming around our home often these days and Brad is able to help our girls understand boys much better than I ever could.
In our beloved world of adoption Fathers are key. I know our children’s Birth Mothers wanted their babies to grow up with not just a Mom active in their life but also a Father. Providing a loving Father is so important for so many women who make an adoption plan for their child. What a blessing Fathers are to society, to our communities and to our homes.
It is my hope all Fathers know just how important they are to their children!
Brenda Horrocks is a mother of four children through adoption.
She promotes adoption, foster care and Utah’s Safe Haven Law through blogging, public speaking and writing. She enjoys time with family, reading books, running, gardening and movies.
You can visit her blog here.