Fatherhood and it's Importance in the Modern Family

In times long gone by, fathers were once a very influential figure in the lives of their children. The examples set and the precedents established were viewed as priceless, and their place in the home remained nearly as important as the mother's.

Unfortunately, times have changed. Men have become more and more of an optional thing in the lives of their children. With the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, fathers moved out, and they stopped working in the home in favor of higher paying jobs in factories and fields. With this development, fathers became less prevalent, now solely earning the title of breadwinner. No more was the shining and constant example of a father in the home alongside his wife. For a majority of his day, he was to spend his time serving another's purposes to provide for his family. While honorable, this paved the way for even more devastating occurrences.

As this went on, 20^th century psychologists concluded (as was usual) that the father played a virtually insignificant role in the life and development of children, and that the mother was the only parental figure that really mattered. This led to a further and more recognizable distance between a man and his home, including a larger distance with his wife.

Over time and through the use of modern psychological studies, psychologists came to recognize how vital fathers are in the development of a child. In the lives of their sons, they play a major role in the development of gender-roles, such as a strong work ethic and a sense of duty, while in their daughters, they help to develop respect for men and help in better relations with them in the future.

The proof of this research, however, doesn’t do us any good without application. Unfortunately, while it is understood scientifically, it is not understood very well in day to day lifestyle. Fathers are still being demeaned, and, in particular, their role in the family is being underestimated and disrespected.

With a slight change of pace, I have had quite the turbulent relationship with my father. As an intellectual, he helped me to understand principles of the world around me, particularly my role as a future husband and father. He taught me the importance of obedience and duty, and I look up to him still for guidance and inspiration.

Not to say we haven’t had our days. We most certainly have. While it has rarely (if ever, to my memory) resulted in a real yelling match, we have had most distressing disagreements that have impacted me. As an example, we often disagreed in regards to my achieving my Eagle award in the organization of the Boy Scouts. He saw it as my moral duty to do so, despite my internal protests of autonomy.

We debated over it many times, with my moral stance being questioned, interrogated, and occasionally downright dismissed. While he certainly wasn’t lacking for good reason in his argument, he sometimes lacked the occasional tact to properly motivate and teach me in the right manner.

Nonetheless, especially as I have grown into my college years, I have been relying more and more on his wisdom and guidance, in personal matters and otherwise. He provides me with a sound grounding system for new thoughts and experiences that I may have, and helps me to challenge my old and new beliefs. He provides me with the support I need to feel validated in my opinions, even when professors and peers alike disagree.

I am grateful that my father was able to find time away from his often stressful job to raise me in a significantly desirable manner.