Fatherhood Isn't Outdated

Popular culture would have you believe that fatherhood is outdated. Mothers are the one's that really count right? After all isn't it the mothers who nurtures the children, takes care of their needs and brings them to school? That may be true in many families but fathers who engage in these tasks find that their children are much better able to face life's challenges.

According to the Census Bureau 13 percent of families with children had the father as the only provider, 31 percent were duel-income with children, 25 percent were duel income without children and 31 percent consisted of other types of families. Therefore, 56% percent were non-traditional families, 13% were traditional and 31% were semi-traditional.

Looking at these numbers it isn't difficult to determine why society has changed its values so drastically. It might even help to explain why proper rearing of children is seen as less important than in the past and why children seem to have such poor attitudes. The children are less able to handle the world around them and have fewer skills to succeed. This is all a result of the self-focused behavior of the parents and their belief that marriage isn't that important.

Fathers are needed in today's world because they teach their children how to earn a good wage, what it means to be a man in today's world, are there to help them in life. It is fathers who have the discipline to encourage their children to get their homework done and it is fathers that are most effective in punishing their children when they are wrong.

Imagine you are a 6 year old boy and you have done something wrong. Your mother may scold you and when your lower lip goes into a pout the mother runs to your side to confirm her love for you. It is your father that looks at that lower lip with contempt and sends you to time out, swats you in the behind or takes away the privileges. Fathers are much better at enforcing the household rules.

Through fathers children learn that whining and complain doesn't always get you your way. They learn to adapt to the world by knowing what they want and going out and getting it despite the odds and difficult. Mothers are there to encourage kindness while fathers are there to teach discipline; both are important. Children who have both examples will do much better than those who don't.