"David Blankenhorn, the author of Fatherless America, has observed: “Today, American society is fundamentally divided and ambivalent about the fatherhood idea. Some people do not even remember it. Others are offended by it. Others, including more than a few family scholars, neglect it or disdain it. Many others are not especially opposed to it, nor are they especially committed to it. Many people wish we could act on it, but believe that our society simply no longer can or will.”-Focus on the Family
In our society, today, the feminist movement is in full swing. People advocate constantly for women’s rights, reaching new horizons, expanding opportunities, and breaking every woman’s glass ceiling. While becoming, growing, and learning more can have wonderful consequences, they can also come with costs. What is one of the costs? Men are being pushed on the back-burner left to stew in a pot of under-appreciation.
Now this isn’t the standard case for everyone, but more and more, men are being seen almost as an unnecessary part in the familial structure. In popular media, fathers are often depicted as incompetent, un-resourceful, and unneeded when this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Dr. David Popenoe, Professor of Sociology at Rutgers University and Co-Director of the National Marriage Project has this to say on the matter, “Fathers are far more than just "second adults" in the home. Involved fathers-especially biological fathers-bring positive benefits to their children that no other person is as likely to bring. They provide protection and economic support and male role models. They have a parenting style that is significantly different from that of a mother and that difference is important in healthy child development.”
“Studies have indicated that: In the words of Dr. Pruett, "positive father care is associated with more pro-social and positive moral behavior in boys and girls." This is borne out by research from the University of Pennsylvania which indicates that children who feel a closeness and warmth with their father are twice as likely to enter college, 75 percent less likely to have a child in their teen years, 80 percent less likely to be incarcerated and half as likely to show various signs of depression. In a 26-year-long study, researchers found that the number one factor in developing empathy in children was father involvement. Fathers spending regular time alone with their children translated into children who became compassionate adults.”-Focus on the Family
Men who care for and provide for their families are a force for good in our world that women can’t replace, no matter what the world may say otherwise. But it’s important to let them know that. I know that personally, if I worked hard and never got thanks, or any kind of acknowledgement, I’d want to give up and just not care anymore. If we can express that we do need fathers and good men in our world, and show appreciation to the men in our lives, despite their flaws and imperfections (because hey, women have those too ya know), then they can know that they’re seen and acknowledged and it will benefit our relationships all around, but especially in the family.
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