The role of fathers - Essay Example

Role of the father The role of a father is very unique and crucial in a family and on the child’s growth and development .The main job of a father isto provide for the family with financial, physical and emotional support. Involvement and affection are the two main keys to a great father-child relationship. Research has proved that there is always a positive impact on children when there is a father’s engagement. Fathers are role models for their children as he teaches the child the right and wrongs, helps in making the right decisions, and guides his children in demonstrating honesty and humility.

However, the involvement of the father depends of various factors such as the genetic relationship, a male guardian, adopted or step father. Statistics has also proved that children who live with their father do academically well as fathers take added role in guiding their children’s social and intellectual development. Fathers play various roles and functions which are-Care takersCompanionsEconomic providerProtectorMoral support and strength (1)In Canada, child health definition includes social competence, creativity, interaction and engagement.

Father’s role directly affects, mediates between child and child health outcomes (3)See below the link between the role of father and child health outcomes. (3)Research also states that the boys are less masculine when they were raised without their father.(1) There are various factors that are affected due to the absence of the father, they are-Academic performancePsychological behaviorDifficulty in establishing relationshipsThe effects of a father’s absence results in many economic disadvantages.

It is associated with a substantial degree of isolation and affects the child’s development.(1) When fathers are disenfranchised, the research studies have shown that the children have a higher rate of suicides, asthma attacks, mental disorder, depression. (2)Children usually benefit from paternal control, better family harmony, absence of economic and financial stress; and more involvement with the family and society.According to the sociologist Lewis Yablonsky, fathering style is determined by a father’s own behavior, his financial condition and his economic status.

In the past decade, the United States has been titled as the world leader in fatherless families and current statistics show that 34% of the children in the United States live without their father. Research studies have proved that there are positive effects of a father’s involvement. Statistics has proved that the children enjoy going to school and participate in extracurricular activities more when the fathers are more involved in their children’s education. There has also been evidence that the children have more self control and have the ability to take more initiatives and risks.(2)The role of the father and his involvement impacts the children’s development, survival and growth, health and child’s emerging capacity.

The father’s contribution to children’s well being is through interactions, constructive engagement in family and social life. (3) Work cited1. Dye, Jane Lawler, Father Involvement and Child Well Being 2006, Survey of Income Program Participation (SIPP), 6th March 2010, http://www.fira.ca/cms/documents/123/PH_FI_Report_brief.pdf2. Roberts, Carey,”Yes, Fathers are essential”, fathermag.com, 7th March 2010 3. Ball, Jessica & Ken Moselle, Father’s contribution to children’s well Being, Public Health Agency of Canada, population health Fund Project, 10th April 2007, from http://www.fira.ca/cms/documents/123/PH_FI_Report_brief.pdf