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Today’s Superhero Dad
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Posted on Jun 16 2023
Father’s Day is this Sunday, June 18, traditionally set aside to honor and acknowledge the contributions that fathers make in the lives of their children and their own families.
Photo by Nhorleen Lilles
“Anyone can father a child but being a dad takes a lifetime,” an unknown pundit once said, and the American Academy of Pediatrics agrees. In their clinical report, these doctors underscored the fact that fathers play a role in every child’s life that cannot be filled by others. Fathers mold our cognitive and emotional growth on which we build who we become later on in life.
Dads are not just superheroes in the eyes of their children, but these hard facts show the truth behind this monicker. Fathers who are highly involved in their children’s lives rear children with increased mental dexterity, empathy, and greater self-control. Also, dads who play and roughhouse with their kids foster better emotional intelligence, memory, learning, morals, and ethics in children.
Despite these contributions, only 39% of fathers believe they’re doing a “very good job” at being a dad, compared to 51% of mothers who believe in the merits of their contributions.
The latest U.S. Census show that, as of 2022, there are 72.2 million fathers nationwide. Globally, it is estimated that there is a total of 1.5 billion to 2 billion fathers in all.
Changing attitudes on fatherhood have seen the millennial dad evolve into a much more hands-on parent than their baby boomer and Gen X counterparts. Today, there are about 2 million to 4 million fathers who have opted to stay home and have become increasingly more likely than women to change careers, decline a pay raise, move, or leave the country to better suit their family’s needs. It’s comforting to know that the millennial dad says “I love you” more frequently than their parents did and that more fathers are showing affection to their children than they received as kids.
So, kudos goes to Dad, Poppa, Pops, Pappu, or whatever name he is known in your family. You are indeed a superhero nonpareil!
