The father’s role in the life of a child cannot be replaced, is of great value and is necessary. Just have a look at this to see the effects of children growing up without fathers.
In a world greatly affected by relativism, it is no wonder such politically correct statements like ‘so long as a child is well loved, cared for, educated and healthy, it does not matter who raises the child.’ continue to be used.
This misinformed notion that fathers are not as important is mostly supported by the examples in the society of individuals that have excelled in their different fields while not having an active relationship with their fathers, not realising this is an exception to the rule and not the norm; societal outliers.
It is possible to grow into a responsible individual without the input of a father but the odds are way better when the father plays an active role.
A mother’s nurturing nature should be tempered by a father’s firmness. Any alteration to that unique combo is, more often than not, going to bring about adverse effects.
At Awaken Dads we in no way, undermine the role played by mothers in the lives of the children. As a matter of fact, we greatly endorse the institution of Marriage, have a look at our Core Beliefs as Awaken Dads.
So why exactly do we claim DADS MATTER?
The father plays an important and I would dare say, UNIQUE role.
- SECURITY – In the normal family setup, the father is responsible for providing protection and managing the family resources. And in cases where fathers abdicate or are not present to play this role, children might develop feelings of insecurity, whether financial or otherwise. This in turn, might lead to panic and anxiety disorders in the future.
- AUTHORITY – Fathers are the primary source of authority and the enforcer of boundaries and in their absence, children are likely to grow up with a warped view of authority and boundaries, which might in turn lead to a rebellious attitude. Their view of authority is normally extended to their view of God which might also lead to rebellion toward spiritual authority.
- LOVE – A father’s love is needed by both the son and the daughter. A father represents God to the children, and how the children perceive their earthly father’s love will in turn affect how they perceive their Heavenly Father’s Love. In cases that this Love is not present, a child is bound to grow seeking this kind of Love and sometimes in all the wrong places much to their detriment.