Education Linked to Better Fathers

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I found this story while doing my daily browsing, and found it to be interesting. And just when you thought that fathers had no value.

Here is an excerpt:

"This is a very optimistic picture of the role of dads and fatherhood in America," said Shelley Waters Boots, vice president for policy and programs at the Washington, D.C.-based Parents Action for Children. "It is quite affirming that a lot of dads are doing a lot of the work of parenting," she added.

"In America, we don't give parents credit for how hard it is, and how hard it is to do it well," Waters Boots said. "So, if you have higher income and more flexibility, you see dads really step up to the plate. For dads who are really struggling to bring home the paycheck, they are paying a price of not doing the parenting job they want to do. We need to be giving dads more support," she said.

I added the bold print!

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My Father-Pt. 1

He bears the same name as I. He is Junior, and I am the Third, also known as the Roman numeral III.

What a great way to honor your father than to establish something that may last for all eternity.

But my dad was not the inspiration for this webpage. We have not always had a great relationship.

My parents divorced before I was old enough to know that they were together. My memories start with my father living elsewhere. Anywhere but home was elsewhere, and that is where my father lived.

I don't remember being aware of his absence. I guess it was that way because I had uncles, cousins, neighbors, and friends who filled in at various points of my life.

I had a fatherly collective.

I had some fishing trips, some manly talks, some scratching in public, etc. However, I do remember feeling that something was missing.

I remember wanting the bedtime stories, the prayers, the consistent fatherly example, the somebody to keep my mother from bothering me.

I didn't have everything I wanted, but my needs were met.

I can remember spending a Christmas with my dad, but I also remember periods where I didn't see nor hear from him. And those were long periods of time.

I can remember vowing to give my kids everything that I did not have, and that was a full time father. Not part time. Not unfocused. Not impatient. Not unforgiving. Not unwilling to grow. Not unloving. Not absent.

A full time father.

Optimism

My idea of life is to forget the bad and live for the good there is in it. This is my motto.

Squire Dowd


As Fathers, our sense of hope tends to be our most precious fuel. That sense can be born from our faith, our experience, and our desire to never give up.

Being a Father can mean that we have no other person to lean on. It can mean that we are figuring out this world by ourselves.

The truth is that you are never alone. You do not have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders alone.

No one has figured out how to effectively deal with life's struggles by themselves. We all need one another, and that is the source of our vice.

That is the source of our optimism.

Value of a Father

Much like the Visa commercials, a good mother is priceless. Her value is worth more than any precious metal that you have ever seen, or could conceive of.

But did you know that fathers are priceless too?

According to a study done on Fathers For Life:
Children from fatherless homes are:

4.6 times more likely to commit suicide,

6.6 times to become teenaged mothers (if they are girls, of course),
24.3 times more likely to run away,
15.3 times more likely to have behavioral disorders,
6.3 times more likely to be in a state-operated institutions,
10.8 times more likely to commit rape,
6.6 times more likely to drop out of school,
15.3 times more likely to end up in prison while a teenager.
(The calculation of the relative risks shown in the preceding list is based on 27% of children being in the care of single mothers.)

and — compared to children who are in the care of two biological, married parents — children who are in the care of single mothers are:

33 times more likely to be seriously abused (so that they will require medical attention), and
73 times more likely to be killed.

This study may be appear a bit dated to some because the results were published in the 90's, but what you must realize is that the kids had to be monitored from birth to maturity in order to measure the outcome.

Mothers, for the most part, have always been there for their kids, but there is something about a present father that brings families to a higher level.

There is something about fathers that make kids want to become successful in life.

There is something about fathers who are there.

Be there for your children. Be there for your family. Your presence increases the value of your family.

Inspiration for this weblog

According to Dictionary.com, the following is the definition of a father: a man who exercises paternal care over other persons; paternal protector or provider. There were other entries, but this one strikes me as the most accurate definition because it grabs the heart of the title Father.

This project has been in my brain for quite some time now, and now is the time for me to introduce it to the world.

When I watch TV shows, listen to radios, or talk to women and girls, I find that a present and reliable father has become a precious commodity. It seems to appear normal for a mother to be solely responsible for the success of a household. We see men at war, in jail, at work, or we don't see them at all. If there is a conspiracy brewing somewhere, it would be to remove the father from the family.

If such a conspiracy exists, this is my contribution to the cause against such a notion. I want to post pictures, stories, movies, etc. That celebrate fathers because there are father who are taking care of their responsibilities.

There are fathers who didn't have a father in their lives, yet they are giving their all to be the man they envisioned for themselves.


Will you help me celebrate daddies?

Will you help daddies raise their game and become more productive as fathers?

To help fathers, send in your stories, pictures, etc. to Datbury@Yahoo.com. I will not share your information with anyone. Your stories, et al may be edited for content, grammar, and appropriateness.