The Importance of Fathers

            One of the things that i have noticed is that peoples conceptions of fathers are only centered around the idea that they are to be the providers for the family. many people see the home as the womans domain where she has the most influence and outside the home as the fathers. because of this people do not really know what a father should do at home or why it is important for him to be there in the first place. here is part of some research that i did on the importance of fathers and their presence in the home as well as the aspects of them being nurturers.

From the research that I studied there were five facts that I found interesting concerning the role of fathers in the raising and nurturing of their children. One research finding showed that a father’s ability to nurture his children helps to improve psychological well-being as well as the self-worth in his children (Rosenburg & Wilcox, 2006). This finding shows that fathers are not only important in providing for their children monetarily, but also by spending time with them and nurturing them.

It has also been found that nurturing fathers provide children with a correct and healthy form of masculinity that they can model or look for later in life (2006). This finding shows how important it is for a father to be around his children, especially his sons early in life so that they can have a proper model after which they can identify correct behavior for how they should act later in life. For daughters this is extremely important to have a nurturing father in the home because through their interactions with him they will be able to have a healthy and correct idea of what kind of behavior they can or should expect from a male friend, boyfriend, and spouse. This finding coincides with other research that found that by providing a healthy form or model of masculinity, fathers help protect their daughters from seeking premature romantic and sexual attention and other relationships from men (2006).

 Studies suggest that fathers who respond calmly when their “children misbehave, get upset, or otherwise lose control have children who are more popular, boys who are less aggressive, and girls who are less negative with their friends” (2006, section 4.3). In this area fathers provide an essential role in providing their children with a model of how to handle different problems and situations in their lives and what actions are appropriate. The research has also shown that fathers need to “accentuate the positive” when interacting with their wives and frequently show affection for them with children present (2006). For many men who have grown up without a father in the home it is extremely difficult for them to know how to treat a spouse and improve a relationship. 

 please feel free to comment if you have found any other research about the importance of a fathers role in the lives of his family and children.