The Importance of Fathers in the Nuclear Family

The Importance of Fathers in the Nuclear Family

Today, the nuclear family couldn’t work without dads knowing that, as well as a mother’s love, children of both sexes need the special support and counsel that only a father can provide. From that special mix of encouragement, support, discipline and love flows a vital stream of sustenance upon which a child’s development is dependent. Only fathers filter support and love through a widely varied and sometimes disparate set of life’s experiences, to the benefit of our children. Only a father’s presence and involvement in a child’s life is guaranteed to support steady, secure development and growth.Fathers’ functions primarily center on the concept that they serve as role models. That is, fathers’ behavior, values and attitudes are often modelled by children. Children learn from what their fathers do; importantly, this includes children’s understanding of responsibility, work ethic and integrity. What a father does when faced with his professional responsibilities and interpersonal relations informs how children then behave in similar situations. When they see a father any way demonstrating how to balance their own work and family responsibilities, handling a problem, or treating people with respect, children pick up on these behaviors.Equally important as emotional support is the impact of fathers. Involved fathers build a child’s self-esteem and confidence. When fathers show their children that they are interested in their lives, listen to their worries, and offer praise and encouragement about their accomplishments, they provide a sense of worth and belonging. This close interpersonal relationship gives a child a great deal of security and self-assurance, which are fundamental to emotional and psychological health.Dads can also aid their children to grow socially. Play is a big part of this, and is a domain in which dads tend to allow more roughhousing and risk-taking than do mums. Using the give-and-take of play, dads are a vital source of social activities that foster essential interpersonal skills such as cooperation, communication and conflict-resolution. Such interactions help children learn how to ‘socialize’ with their friends and peers as well as with other adults. The different way that dads tend to see problems and make decisions can add a richness to their child’s cognitive and problem-solving skills.A father’s presence also has profound implications in terms of outcomes for behavior. When dads are involved in monitoring their children’s activities, kids are less likely to engage in risky behaviors and more likely to succeed academically and socially. Fathers impose limits and contribute to discipline, which promotes children’s understanding of consequences and self-control.In addition, the cooperation and mutual respect between the biological father and mother in a nuclear family is a huge role model of the cooperation between the sexes. Thus, when fathers and mothers jointly engage in parenting in a nuclear family, children learn about teamwork and the mutual responsibilities of family life. It is this balanced parenting style with two people working together that best helps our children with their growth and development.Parents have an opportunity here at Parler to share their experiences and uplift each other. We march confidently together. We honor all of our fathers in our family. They play a critical role in shaping their children’s futures. Thanks to you. Share your fatherhood stories with our Parler family.