Becoming a father brings meaning to most men, especially if they are present in the child's upbringing. But fatherhood can also be a struggle. A man can be a biological father to a child but not carry out much actual parenting or provide financial support to raising a child.
Being a present father requires a man to be a good role model, and surrounding a child with warmth, love, care and being engaged in the child's development. Even if a man is not the biological father of a child, he can be a father figure who gives a child love, support and involvement which will benefit the child in later years.
Research has shown that fathers who are involved in the nurturing and upbringing of their babies later have children with higher IQs and better language and thinking skills, compared with children who have less-involved fathers. A father's involvement is also associated with a child having fewer behavioural problems at school and growing up to have more successful careers.
"A Fathers love is constant and unchanging"
True love from a father is sacrificial and involves a lot of patience, kindness, to a degree a man becomes humbled from his old ways, learns to be honest, forgiving, faithful, and selfless. A good father teaches his child about right and wrong and encourages them to do their best. Father's who are present use everyday examples to help children learn the basic lessons of life and tend to raise well-rounded individuals who are equipped to deal with normal life challenges.
As much as there are men who want to be present in raising a child there are circumstances that may prohibit their involvement. Some of these limitations are legal and economical; some are psychological and interpersonal. These limitations maybe a result of having no role model or being raised with unrealistic ideologies. Once someone has been raised with unrealistic expectations of what life is especially what having a child should be like this raises the risk of them either walking away from fatherhood or staying and raising children who will suffer from mental, emotional and physical problems due to this exposure.
If you are a father that deeply wants to be present in your child's life, make the time and the effort. Be present and interact with your child. Fathering is what a man is doing right now to make sure their child is looked after. The issue is some men would rather spite the mother than put their child's needs first. Don't be that man! Think about the implications this will have on your children, maybe not now, but definitely in the future.
If you are a man who wants to be part of your child's life but do not know how to, speak up. If you can not confide in friends or family speak to a professional or send us an email to smiles@coffeemorninglaughter.com and a member of our team will be happy to speak with you. Take that step to being a better father.
Listen To Podcast Ep:27 MENTAL_K - Fathers Day Special
