This article covers the following topics.
- List of responsibilities of a father
- What is the role of father in child development?
- What does father do for the family?
- What are the responsibilities of a father?
The central role of a father
A father does not just have a single aim or task that he has to attend to; he has innumerable responsibilities and goals and expectations that he must fulfil.
A father happens to be a role model for his children in some way or the other as kids generally shadow their parents' moves while they're still growing up. But once they grow up, more than copying them, the children start idealising them and slowly their parents' values, and behaviour starts to get inculcated in them. Therefore, a father must always stay cautious about his actions and behaviour as his children will watch and learn.
A father has to juggle between many responsibilities and has to look after several factors, such as:
- Fathers, especially biological ones, influence their kids heavily and play a major role in shaping their child's future.
- A father provides his kids with emotional, financial as well as social support.
- According to studies, supportive and affectionate fathers tend to affect their child's development in terms of emotional, mental, and cognitive aspects in a positive way.
- To a child, his/her father's opinions, and his perspective tends to matter a lot. Therefore, it is of major importance for that father to be involved in his children's lives and be there for them to guide them along the way.
- A constant and effective presence of a father also helps boost his children's self-confidence and provides them with a sense of love, care, and overall well-being of the family. This would also help establish a strong sense of social development within the child.
- A family with an emotionally available and engaging father and accepting and caring attitude is more likely to prosper than a family without one.
The difference in a father's and a mother's parenting
A father's role as a significant parental figure tends to be different than that of a mother which is why it is as important as her role, which is why a child looks up to his father in a different light than he/she might look up to their mother.
Although both the parents love their children the same, there is a stark difference in the way they portray their love and in the approach of their parenting altogether. Therefore, the role of both parents is considered to be exceedingly important in a child's life.
For instance, studies show that fathers tend to teach the values of determination, and competition in their kids whereas mothers generally tend to teach their kids willpower, being more responsible as well as loving and caring.
A father is more likely to have his child take more risks than his mother, and this helps in disclosing the child to a vast number of experiences, choices, and situations. In this way, certain important aspects of life such as the cruciality of discipline, a basic yet advanced sense of right and wrong, the idea of being courageous, the lesson of never giving up, etc., are engraved into a child's life by his/her father generally. The evidence? Don't worry; we got you!
Here are several facts and figures that might help you understand the integrity of the information provided in a better light:
- In a study conducted to know whether or not the parents would allow their kid to climb a steep and incline, about 62% of the dads said yes to it, and only 56% of the mothers agreed. This proves that fathers are more likely to have their children take risks than moms.
- Has a kid's intelligence levels got anything to do with his/her father? The answer is a most definitive yes! A report on child abuse and neglect by the Office has shown that kids with more involved, affectionate as well as responsible father figures have found to have a higher IQ and tend to be brainer in general than those with whom this isn't the case.
- Involving a father merely while going on trips or occasions is not enough. According to studies, kids have shown social and cognitive enhancement on a greater level with their dads involved on a daily basis and a constant rate.
For instance, a father's presence in simple activities like a family dinner or while watching a movie or playing a board game is going to a have a healthy and positive impact on his kids' mind and life, more positive than you would've thought.
The difference a good father makes
Imagine all the good and beneficial things that take place in the presence of a father; now think about the amount of damage there would be in his absence.
The absence and ignorance of a father in his child's life has proved to be relatively unhealthy for the child's life in the long run. It would not only negatively affect his/her character development but would also lead to the kid having certain serious problems like abandonment issues, hindrance in his/her emotional, social and cognitive development, trust issues, and dull performance in terms of school and other activities. All this tends to instigate more and more obstacles in the child's life, thereby leaving him/her mentally and even physically disturbed from an early age which becomes only more harmful in the long run.
Therefore, the involvement of a father in an adequate manner and on a daily basis is of utter importance in a child's life.
The importance of father in a daughter's life
A father is responsible for establishing a sense of security and emotional support in his daughter and plays a highly important role in her life. It is a widely known fact that a girl in the latter part of her life while choosing a partner, looks for the qualities that her father portrays. So, if her father is gentle and caring, she is more likely to choose such a partner that radiates these qualities more.
The importance of father in a son's' life
Unlike the case with daughters, a son tends to observe and model the characteristics of his father himself rather than looking for those qualities in someone else. This is why boys are more likely to seek their father's approval and constantly feel like proving themselves in their eyes. And this is exactly why a father and his son's relationship tends to hold immense value and importance.
Although a father's relationship with his son and with his daughter shows stark contrast, it just proves the fact that a father figure is needed in a child's life, regardless of the kid's gender.
Conclusion
The road of fatherhood is one that goes two ways, wherein the father influences and impacts his kids just the same as his kids have an impact on him. And this symbiotic relationship is a necessity if one wishes for a healthy, sound, and constructively functioning family.
Co-author: Khushi Shah
Khushi has just passed her school and is now studying at PDPU. Apart from writing, she likes to sketch and dance. She also has other blogs where she posts proses and poetry.
