A Father’s Role in today’s Family

What is the father’s role in today’s family? In the modern world where live-in relationship is preferred to marriage and sometimes single parenting is chosen over being a couple, does it matter whether a father is involved with the development of a child?

The parenting style of a mother and father are different from each other. In the book “Fatherhood”, by Ross Parke, these styles are compared. Themedguru explores the father’s part…

A mother would sit with her child’s favourite toy, be repetitive and gentle. However, a father’s style of playing would be more unpredictable. There would be more verbal and physical stimulation for a child while playing with his or her father. It’s not a surprise then that as children grow up, the father becomes a more likely playmate than the mother.

How do fathers help in the development of a child?
Various surveys, researches and facts prove that fathers can make a big difference in the growth and development of a child. Parents, for a child are the bridge to the world. Through parents, a child gets to inherit a network of people, cultures, relationships and knowledge. While a mother bring in the stability in a kid’s life, the father brings in a sense of industry and a risk free environment. Both of these factors contribute immensely to a child’s development.

Fathers create a sense of competition among children. They create obstacles for the children and guide them to overcome them. They challenge the abilities of the child. All of these help in the emotional development of the child. But it doesn’t stop there. A father will also teach a child how to control one’s emotions, through the games.

Fathers help a child in achieving good results at school. A survey shows that children with involved fathers are better at school activities than others. One simple reason is that the father being involved means that a child is supported better financially. Though now most families have both the parents working, a father’s salary is mostly the bigger part of the family income. Also fathers spend more time with the children on studies improving their results.

One of the difficult times of a child’s growth stage is the teenage period. A survey shows that a teenager with an involved father will have fewer problems to cope than other children. Teenage is a time when the child is more involved with friends and clashes with parents mostly mothers. Teenagers normally would look at their fathers for simply “being there” when they need to talk or need advice.

So How Can a Father be More Involved in the Family?

o A positive and respectful relationship with the child’s mother is the first step to be a part of a happy family. Children are affected by environment and what they see is what they do.

o Spend more time with the children talking as well as listening to them. Also if you expect to be heard, earn the right by listening to them. Most fathers only speak to their children when they have done something wrong.

o Discipline is a very crucial part of a child’s development. However, the discipline should be within limits. If wrong actions are punishable, good behaviour should be rewarded too.

o Fathers, more often than not, are the role models for children. A girl who grows up with a loving father knows she deserves respect from the man she marries. A son learns the lessons of honesty, responsibility and also humility from the father. Use everyday examples to help mould the principles and morals of a child.

o Do things together as a family. Like sharing at least one meal everyday as a family is very important. This gives the child a chance to express their feelings and ideas and also share experiences. Read to the children before sleeping to develop their reading habits, a habit, which is very much needed in today’s television and videogames dominated world.

Support Groups for Fathers

Slowly the great divide between a father and mother is blurring. Today the term parent is preferred than a father or a mother. There are also many support groups for single fathers or fathers who need help. One such group is DADs. This group is a support group for fathers with daughters and helps them guide their young girls in this mad time of advertising, obsession with sex and fashion. They are a group, which shows that the role of a father is changing in a family and in a child’s life.