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Dear Friends,
With Father’s day right
around the corner, it’s good for us guys to stop and consider the
importance of being a good dad to our kids. The following article comes to us from
Dr. Rozario Slack, Director of Fathering and Urban Initiatives at First
Things First to help us clarify our role better.
“The
pressures of fatherhood are great.
On any given day, balancing work and family, finances, and
discipline are usually three issues that rank at the top of the
list. Our culture has been telling
men that if they are good providers that equates to being a good
dad. However, research is now
sending a newsflash to men…. and women that it isn’t all about the
money. Children need father
presence in their lives.
In an analysis of nearly 100 studies on parent-child relationships,
father love (measured by children’s perceptions of paternal
acceptance/rejection, affection/indifference) was as important as mother
love in predicting the social, emotional, and cognitive development and
functioning of children and young adults.
Specifically, the studies showed that:
·
Having a loving and nurturing father was as
important for a child’s happiness, well-being, and social and academic
success as having a loving and nurturing mother.
·
Withdrawal of love by either the father or the
mother was equally influential in predicting a child’s emotional
instability, lack of self-esteem, depression, social withdrawal and level
of aggression.
·
In some studies, father love was actually a better
predictor than mother love for certain outcomes, including delinquency
and conduct problems, substance abuse, and overall mental health and
well-being.
“I
believe men have to learn how to strike a balance between providing for
their family and nurturing their family,” said Dr. Slack. “Many men don’t feel comfortable connecting
with their children emotionally so they spend most of their waking hours
away from home. I tell men, ‘Don’t
spend all your time away from your family trying to make something happen
for your family or you defeat the purpose.’ In many instances, just the
mere presence of a father is better than tons of things and planned
activities.””
If you want to read the
article in its entirety, click
here. Take some time this summer and spend them with your
kids. It’s time well spent!
Michael "Kapp" Brown
Executive Director
House on the Rock Family Ministries
_____________________________________________________________________
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If you found this information helpful, we have made other Pebbles of Truth articles available on our website (www.hotrfm.org).
Each month we feature articles on the topics of: men's issues, marriage,
blended families, parenting, and church ministry to families. You will
also find a great deal more information about House on the Rock
Family Ministries! Thanks for visiting.
Please feel free to forward this to friends and family … we
just ask that you keep it intact … thanks
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