Parenting is one of life’s greatest joys. It is also one of its greatest challenges. Making babies is easy (technically), but becoming a parent is a choice one has to make. The kind of parent you are will directly affect what your children will grow and how they will end up in life.
To be a good father, you do not need to answer questions like, “what is a keynote speaker?” or “how to negotiate effectively,” which can be answered by websites such as Eric Maddox. Being a parent requires no intelligence but wisdom, heart, and presence.
Father Absence Crisis
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are close to 20 million children, more than one in four, living in fatherless homes. Millions more have fathers who are physically present but emotionally detached. Fatherlessness, consequently, is a factor in a lot of social ills in America today.
Numerous case studies have shown us that uninvolved parenting, which demands nothing and gives nothing, sows havoc in a child’s life with their indifference and inability to deal with the child.
Several studies also show that a fatherless home is directly correlated to juvenile crime. The more opportunity a child has to interact with his or her biological father, the lesser the chances he or she will be under the juvenile justice system’s radar.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, children who grew up in fatherless homes make up for:
- 63% of youth suicides.
- 90% of homeless and runaway youths.
- 85% of children displaying behavioral disorders.
- 71% of all high school dropouts.
- 70% of all juvenile delinquency.
- 75% of young people admitted to substance abuse centers.
- 75% of sexual offenders brought about by displaced anger.
Those are pretty serious numbers.
The Father Factor
We are faced with a world where technological advances are as much bane as it is boon. Faceless sexual predators lurking online looking for a child to prey upon. Keyboard warriors out to take bullying to a whole other level, inflicting not physical harm but mental anguish and emotional torture.
Although our children are faced with new threats and have different needs today, the presence of an attentive and loving father can help protect them from today’s modern risks and empower them to become the best that they can be.
Even though there are differences in a father and a mother’s parenting styles, both are equally important. A father’s presence can prevent a young boy from acting out and build confidence in a young girl. A father tells it like it is, which espouses critical thinking that children can use to succeed in life.
Fathers are more naturally inclined to let children experience hardships but walking alongside them through their challenges.
While being a parent is hard, it is especially so today. The world is a far more complex place today than it was a couple of decades ago. Children are faced with challenges today we never experienced before. It would be very convenient if there were a “parenting switch” that you can turn on or off anytime, but life doesn’t work that way. Fathers are needed now more than ever.