The Role Of The Father In Raising Children
The father’s role includes several vital duties in the child’s life. These can be fulfilled by the father, mother, relative or, in some cases, an educational institution.
Before the birth, the mother primarily embodies the relationship that both parents have with the child. It does this in a completely natural way as it is very closely related to the child during pregnancy. During this time it is the father’s job to support the mother. She has to go through a lot of changes during this time.
However, a bond between the father and the child is also possible during pregnancy, especially if the father is actively involved during pregnancy.
After the birth, the father has the opportunity to further strengthen his bond with the child. The bond between father and child is strengthened through small deeds and active participation in simple tasks, such as being fooled or by having the child sleep next to the father. In these moments the baby learns to recognize his father by his voice or his smell.
In this first phase of life, it is particularly important that the mother gives the father space and thereby gives him the opportunity to participate in the upbringing. By participating in everyday tasks, the baby can perceive his father as a guardian and caregiver who wants to take care of him. This type of experience helps the child build a solid foundation of self-awareness.
The embodiment of the father role gives the child a further living space that sets itself apart from the “ideal mother-child world”. It is extremely important for the baby’s development.
The presence of the father serves as a role model for the child
The child does not escape the involvement of the father, even when that role is assumed by someone who is not the biological father. His presence, position and actions shape and determine the personality of the child, because the child learns new things through him every day.
One of the most important tasks for parents is that they offer their child a safe place of security. The stability that this gives the children gives them the self-confidence they need to cope with the world.
The constant coping with new challenges that parents face in the active upbringing of their children pays off for the child. So they are a great opportunity for parents to help their children grow. Because one of the main tasks of fathers is to be a role model for their children and to offer them guidance on a moral level.
An actively involved parent is very important for the child
As attentive and energetic educators, parents are central figures in their child’s life. If the bond with the child is close, the father can teach the child values and set limits. If the father also actively helps with the household and offers the child his support together with the mother, the child will listen carefully to the father and let him guide him.
The cool and authoritarian role that fathers often played in the past has now fallen out of favor. It has been replaced by a warmer, more intimate, more balanced relationship. Today fathers share many tasks with their wives, such as household chores, securing a livelihood, paying bills and actively raising children.
Men, who take care of all these important tasks, play a fundamental role in the child’s mental development.
Children whose fathers played a major role in their upbringing tend to lead better lives than children whose fathers played little in their upbringing. In addition, fathers who were with the mother in early childhood also have a greater influence on her in the later youth of their children.
Children who grow up without a father figure often have problems in their youth because they have difficulties in identifying themselves. These young people can experience loneliness, low self-esteem, and depression, which can lead to poor school performance, substance abuse, and idleness.
