One thing that mothers get is a lot of recognition just for being mothers. On this Father’s Day, I need to recognize the fathers. Being a father today is not the same as it once was. There is more nurturing, involvement and expressions of love than there ever was expected in the past. Fathers today are more partners in parenting than they ever where before. My husband is just as responsible as I am to make sure that our child is potty trained, has a good sleep schedule and has proper nutrition. We combine forces to maintain a united front against whining, fighting, messy rooms, bad hygiene and the like.
There are times he is seen as the fun loving, rough and tumble, “good guy.” This is something we, as mothers have to allow and even encourage. “Father-child interaction promotes a child’s physical well being, perceptual ability and competency for relating with others. These children also demonstrate greater ability to take initiative and evidence self-control.” - (http://firstthings.org/page/resource-center/fathers/the-importance-of-positive-male-role-models) There are certain things that dads just do right. The rough-housing, horse play that makes us mom’s cringe is so important in our children’s development. “When fathers play with their toddlers, they are not just entertaining them. They are providing a safe, yet challenging arena for toddlers to learn how to interact with the world and with others. Through rough-and-tumble play, fathers create obstacles for their children and demand respect for limits and boundaries. At the same time, they challenge their children and encourage them to explore their own strength, their ability to do new things, and their impact on the world around them. Toddlers who must work out for themselves how to achieve goals-such as retrieving a ball that is just out of reach in their father's hand or wrestling their father to the ground-are practicing important problem-solving skills. In fact, when fathers are good at playing with their young children, these children score higher on tests of thinking and problem-solving skills.” - http://www.civitas.org.uk/hwu/fathers.php
Fathers provide the love, stability and laughter that every family needs. I am very lucky to have a husband who does all this and more. He is the perfect role-model to our boys. He provides goofy-ness and laughter with security and love like no other. My own father provided me with the confidence and self-assurance that allowed me to become the woman I am. He also showed me humor and kindness. He is a constant example I look to. Without his presence, guidance and love, I would not be who I am today.
So to all you fathers out there, Happy Father’s Day. Thank you for being Dad!
Salute’
MommaO
