June 18, 2014

Five Reasons Why Dads are Necessary

Before we begin this post: none of this is to say that Moms are unnecessary, or that children can’t flourish beautifully in single-parent homes. But in many families dads are the unsung heroes, and all of the beautiful stories we came across this Father’s Day really reinforced that. So we decided to share a few ways in which we think dads are pretty awesome:

Dads are more in tune with their babies than some might think. A recent study showed that just as many dads are able to to pick up on their child’s cries as moms are. Mommies aren’t the only one with parental intuition!

Good fathers actually help their daughters move more smoothly through puberty. According to research by the University of Arizona, girls who have more absent fathers go through puberty sooner than girls who have a positive relationship with their fathers. This means that growing up with an emotionally distant father can have an effect on a very important life event, and a young girl’s transition into womanhood.75% of dads called fatherhood their most important job. That’s a huge number, and those are the kinds of people we need in our children’s lives! Anyone who is willing to count parenthood as one of their most important jobs is someone who is supremely benefiting the life of a child. The more people in a child’s life who love, support and guide them, the better. Even better if that person is also their father.

Fathers are the first relationship their daughter has with a man. The potential teaching lessons involved in that relationship are infinite, and monumentally significant when it comes to teaching a little girl about the qualities she deserves in a partner, or how other men should be treating her at school in the workplace, etc. The book Dads and Daughters goes deep into this relationship, and all of the ways in which a father can nurture his daughter through his positive relationship with her.

Good fathers have good relationships with their children’s mother. And that makes a world of difference. It teaches children about relationships, about respect, it gives them a positive home environment and it models a multitude of important behaviors for children. It all begins at home.