Question of the Month: What value do fathers bring to families and society?
Stability, a father’s love. A role model for a daughter to look up to, for a son to want to be like. A good loving father creates a moral compass for his children. He sets standards and expectations. He is their teacher; he is there to guide them to make wise and good decisions. He must be consistent. He is there to let them vent, to encourage them and help give them confidence.
– Sandy Peisner, Southwest Region
As long as men are behaving in a masculine way and on purpose, their leadership energy provides the consistent direction that holds the family or society from spilling out in different, unfocused directions.
– Rob Miller, Western Region
When a man “Fathers” with a capital “F” and he engages with the people and the environment before him with utter abandon for what those people will think of him, when he is driven to the creation of his own being because he heeded the call that rose from his balls and his belly, then that man is engaging with the cosmos, and without fail, he will cause awareness and consciousness to flourish around him. And he will have given his most valuable gift, the highest expression of himself, to his family and to society.
– Nick Hodges, Ontario, Canada
A father’s job is to be as a rock and provide for the family, doing whatever it takes. No f—— excuses. Be consistent and responsible giving children a feeling of safety and security. Fathers should model respect and integrity at home and in the community. By showing up strong, supporting and showing your love to your wife and children, the family members will be more confident, healthy and happy, contributing positively to society.
– Hawkeye Jay Zipperman, Southeast
The value I bring as a father is that my children are growing up in a secure, grounded, loving home. They are therefore secure and they are grounded people. Of course, they are loved, we play, and my daughters hopefully will end up marrying a great man similar to what I’ve tried to model for them. I try to inspire them to get out in the world and provide caring and leadership for others. Most of all, I view it as my role as a father to raise grounded, confident, generous, caring, and loving society leaders, who as a result are ready to serve and one day provide the same for their families and communities.
– Pete Turok, Mid-Atlantic Region
A good father has several tools/aptitudes. A great father has more than several. One of the most important is to be the “backstop for his kids.“ Nothing gets by him. He is there like a rock for his kids and their mother, whether he lives with her or not. Anything to do with the kids, he is counted on by their mother. She may never admit it, nor acknowledge him for it, but she does expect it and need it. The children want and need to be able to run into him and know that he will catch them. This is what a dad’s life is about: dependability. All kids want this. They all want to know that when dad says something, it is real, and will be delivered, both the good and the bad. Some test more than others, but all expect and need the consequence when they make the mistake. If I’m not there to deliver it, who will? Their mother? Most times not. Very few women have that aptitude. They do have other aptitudes that men will never have, but not typically the ability to throw down the gauntlet. Having drawn the line in the sand, and spoken the consequence, the dad is the one to deliver the ugly when the child makes the mistake. None of us wants to, yet we know in our gut that delivering the expected is the needed medicine for our son or daughter. And our sense of real world right/wrong, what works and what doesn’t, keeps us focused, so we do it.
The dad is the rock, the man, the king. His kids and his wife/children’s mother expect it. They know it. They are disappointed when he doesn’t show up. The dad is the backstop.
– Tim Goodnow, Southeast Region