A Fathers Role

 Today I want to talk about the role that a father has in his children's lives. I think this topic is very important because a lot of people in today's society grow up without fathers, and I want to talk about the why this is dangerous and why we desperately need fathers in the home. I want to first talk about an article that I found that discusses the role of fathers in their children's lives. The article comes from the Children's Bureau. They state that studies have shown that children who don't have fathers present in the home, end up suffering greatly compared to children who grow up with fathers in the home. They say "We know that children who grow up with absent fathers, can suffer lasting damage. They are more likely to end up in poverty or drop out of school, become addicted to drugs, have a child out of wedlock, or end up in prison" (Children's Bureau). From studies that have been done, we have found that children who grow up without fathers are more likely to end up in trouble and have a harder life in general. There are 5 things while reviewing this article that I think are the most important that I would like to share. 

Children who grow up in homes without fathers usually have a worse academic performance. The article said that 71 percent of high school dropouts are fatherless children. I think that statistic alone really goes to show how important fathers are in their children's academic successes. 

Promiscuity and teen pregnancy are more likely to occur to children without fathers. This means that the likelihood of teenagers having intercourse before 16 years old is much higher for fatherless children. I think this might be because fathers set a good example, especially for their daughters, of the type of man that they should be with, and children without fathers, don't have that example. 

Delinquency and youth crime is more likely when kids do not have fathers. The statistic that they share is that 85% of youth in prison have an absent father. This statistic really goes to prove the importance of fathers in their children's lives. The example and role model of a father would greatly help to avoid situations like these.

Drug and alcohol use is higher for children without fathers. Kids without dads are more likely to smoke, drink, and abuse substances. This can cause a lot of trouble in childhood and adolescence. 

Something huge that worries me about children who grow up in fatherless homes is that these children are more likely to not have good relationships in the future either. They are more likely to have children outside of wedlock and for their relationships to end in divorce. The cycle is more likely to continue if children don't have their fathers.

https://www.all4kids.org/news/blog/a-fathers-impact-on-child-development/#:~:text=We%20know%20that%20children%20who,or%20end%20up%20in%20prison.

 I think these examples show how important and necessary it is to have fathers in the home. From studies that have been done, it is clear that children without fathers are at a way higher likelihood of having a worse state of life. I think one thing that is very important as young people looking for relationships is to consider if this person would be able to step up to be the father that your future kids need.

While learning about why having fathers in the home is so important, it made me stop and think about the role of my dad in my life. I lived with my dad until I was about 10 or 11 years old until my parents divorced and I ended up living with only my mom. Fortunately, my dad still stepped up and still wanted to be apart of my life because I can't even imagine how different things would be if he didn't. I definitely still struggled as a young girl without living with my dad and seeing him everyday. I think one thing that resulted from not having my dad in the home after they divorced is that it was harder for my mom to be able to control my siblings and I, especially me once I entered the "rebellious teenage years". I really believe that fathers play a crucial role in setting a good example for their children, but also keeping the children in line and in check. I'm very grateful for my dad and his willingness to step up for my siblings and I because I think I might be a very different person today if he didn't. I'm very grateful for the roles that fathers play in all of our lives.