On Sunday, the United States and fifty-four other countries hold Father`s Day, honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society.
The first observance of Father`s Day is believed to have been held in Spokane, Washington in June of 1910.
Far more important than the day, and the marketing opportunity that it provides, are the actual roles that father`s play or don`t play in the lives and the development of their children.
Economically, fathers are the ultimate anti-poverty weapon for their children. On the other hand, Robert Rector, senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, says, `The principal cause of child poverty in the U.S. is the absence of married fathers in the home.`
About two of every three poor children live in single-parent households. If those same children lived with both parents, nearly two out of three would be lifted out of poverty.
Equally important is the role that fathers play in the development of risk-taking and other positive behaviors in their children.
Mothers and fathers have complementary styles. Mothers tend to develop a more empathetic and emotional relationship with their children while fathers encourage the children to take risks.
Daniel Paquette, a professor at Universite de Montreal School of Psychoeducation, says, `We found that fathers are more inclined than mothers to activate exploratory behavior by being less protective.`
Other studies show that dads exert a lot of influence when it comes to convincing kids to avoid cigarettes and sex.
Given the role father`s play, the fact that four of every 10 babies overall, more than half of all Hispanic births and 70% of births for blacks don`t have fathers in the home puts those children at a great disadvantage in life.
Coosa Valley News
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