Fathers

Hello small amount of people who actually read this blog. Hope everyone is doing well amidst this COVID-19 craziness. Being a college student right now is very weird and honestly it’s not something I ever thought I would go through, but all is well so far. Being introverted at times like this has it’s perks. Anyway I should probably get on to what this weeks blog is actually about.

Back before the industrial revolution families lived through farming, but this wasn’t just a one person job. In this agricultural setting the whole family had roles to play in running the farm, they worked together to ensure their survival. In this setting the children were constantly around both parents, learning to work hard and grow together. Everything changed when the industrial revolution hit. Father’s started to leave to find work outside the home sometime leaving for weeks or months at a time to earn money for his family. Mothers then had the role of both Mother and Father thrust upon her in the absence of her husband. Since then the world has changed so much as far as family is concerned and changes continue to happen. Family systems are breaking down left and right, it’s just not as important to people anymore.

The classic nuclear family includes a Mother and Father who are committed to each other and choose to love each other. I personally have heard of the importance of Mothers in the lives of children many times, but Fatherhood is not as widely spoken of. Despite what a lot of people believe today, having a Father and Mother in the home has been found by a plethora of research to be the best setting in which children can develop. I would like to add though that this is custodial, loving, Fatherhood, harshness and cruelty from a Father is worse than not having one at all.

39% of American children are born without a Father in the home, but it has been found through different studies that Fathers have been found to be an essential link in the family for all members safety and security, which includes Moms and daughters as well as sons. Studies have been done that have found that daughters with absent Fathers are more prone to diminished cognitive development and poor school performance. Girls who grow up without fathers in the home also lack a sense of protection, which can lead to a lack of confidence in turn leading to things like low self esteem and addiction. This isn’t an absolute, girls can still succeed with absent or harsh fathers they are just more susceptible than others. Boys without fathers or harsh fathers in the home are more prone to criminal acts and violence. They don’t have someone in their home to really help them understand what to do with all the testosterone in their bodies in healthy ways as they grow up. They also have problems with self-esteem, depression, and even identity formation. Father’s are so important in the lives of their children.

I strongly believe that having a Mother and Father in the home, who choose to love each other, and do their best to work together as one, is the best thing you can do for a child. There are circumstances though where this isn’t how a family is made up, I would just say to do their best, maybe try and have good male or female role model in their kids lives who will spend time and interact with them on a regular basis. In the end what’s best for a family is up to each member most importantly the parents, even if there’s just one.