Fathers are a treasured part of the family. They are the providers and protectors that keep the family safe and happy. But in recent times, as gender roles become more fluid, fathers have also taken on the role of caregivers and nurturers. Modern fathers are now more comfortable with taking on motherly roles, and vice versa. And while there are many fatherless families, those that do have a positive father figure tend to produce more well-adjusted children with greater emotional security. The role a father plays is often taken for granted. Here’s why we should celebrate the fathers in our lives and all that they do for us.
Working Dads
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Whether they are the primary breadwinners or not, working dads offer the financial support that keeps the family fed and sheltered. And not all of them work in clean, air-conditioned offices either. Many dads work tough, back-breaking jobs that take a lot out of them. Not counting those with unpredictable shifts and low wages. And they still make time for parent teacher conferences and school concerts. As much we celebrate the working mums, we may not give the working dads the credit they deserve. And the societal expectations and pressure of being a man who is often expected to be the primary breadwinner. Many dads miss the important moments with their children due to work. And that is why we should always give working dads a break.
Single Dads
Just imagine what it might like to be a working single dad, and how hard things must be for them. Maintaining a one-income household if you’re single is relatively doable, perhaps even easy. But if you have more than one mouth to feed, it gets a little tougher. Just like single mums, single dads have their work cut out for them. Between juggling work and family, they may not have much time for themselves. They may not have time for their hobbies, their sleep and even their relationships. This is especially hard when you think about how lonely single parents may be without an adult partner in life. And because they often don’t even have time to date, finding romance can seem impossible.
Adoptive Dads
Adoptive dads may find some things to differ slightly based on their marital status. Depending on the country, culture and law, single men for instance have more difficulty adopting a child. Due to social stigma of fathers not being able to properly take care of a child without a woman or mother figure around. Men are often seen as the ‘inept parent’, a damaging stereotype propagated by entertainment media and pop culture. However, married adoptive dads may experience less of this judgement. Although they may face another kind of stigma that most adoptive parents do. Many people in general don’t consider adoptive families real or permanent families. And that misconception needs to change.
Stay-at-Home Dads
Society sure has a lot to say about gender roles when it comes to family structure and dynamics. And stay-at-home parents are not exempt from this treatment. However, recent trends suggests that while stay-at-home parenthood may be attributed to rising unemployment, it could also point to shifting gender roles. So if these statistics are to be believed, stay-at-home dads choose to play a more active role in fatherhood instead of being forced into it. But compared to stay-at-home mums, stay-at-home dads face a larger amount of stigma. Something arising from the sexist view of men being the primary breadwinners and women staying at home to watch the kids. And yet many stay-at-home dads do their work beautifully, so there really is no issue in couples breaking obsolete parental norms.
Older Dads
When we reach a certain age we really start to miss the old days. Your kids may have moved out of the house by now and started families of their own in another state. You see less and less of them as time goes on. If you’re an older parent you may miss the joys of new parenthood. The baby smell, the plastic toys, even the diaper changes. And if you have an older parent, remember to give them a call every once in a while. As much as dads don’t always like to say the L word to their kids (which may be the case for many Asian dads), it doesn’t mean they don’t deeply care about you. So, if you have an older dad, remember to give them all the love too.
All Dads Matter
The rise in feminism and female empowerment has put motherhood on a pedestal. Women are thought of as infinitely important for the functioning of a family. But let’s not take dads for granted either. Research backs up the importance of having a dad around in the house. Those who grew up with a positive father figure tend to do better in school, and are less likely to get involved in criminalf activity. Dads are just as valid as mums, and not just as a traditional role in a family. They are also our best friends, our guardians and our greatest allies. And this father’s day, let us pay homage to the father figures in our lives who have paved the way for our success and happiness. They definitely deserve it.
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