Fathers need to stay involved

The importance of having a father in a child’s life has received much attention in the last 30 years. Based on an estimate by the National Fatherhood Initiative, 55-60 percent of children in the 1990s spent part of their childhood in a fatherless home.

Research has shown that children who grow up fatherless have increased delinquent behaviors, lower academic scores, impaired interpersonal functioning and anger control, distorted perceptions of what constitutes a healthy relationship and lower self-esteem. Although having a father in the home can nurture healthy child development, fathers who are not interacting with their children, have substance abuse issues, neglect the child’s mental or physical health, or engage in domestic violence can do more harm than good.

Over the past 30 years, our culture has experienced a paradigmatic shift that has beckoned fathers to offer more than fiscal support to their families. The boundaries have been extended to include the father as a nurturing and emotional supporter for their children; not just the disciplinarian. In today’s society – where both parents are often required to work in order to make ends meet – the father is expected to do laundry, wash dishes, prepare meals, get the children ready for bed, change diapers, etc. For those men who cling to "traditional" paternity roles and are unable to adapt to the demands placed on fathers in our society, healthy child development suffers.

This is a call to all fathers out there: Be actively involved in the life of your child and take the responsibility of nurturing the precious life you helped bring into this world – there is too much riding on this not to.

Rick Carroll
Bristol, Va.