Sunday, June 21, 2009

Father's Responsibilities


Today is father's day and much has been written by people on the responsibilities of the father. President Obama of U.S.A. says that any fool can become a father but being a real father means owning up responsibilities and "being there". I agree with him. A father's role in the child's development is significant. And it is more than just giving time to the child by being present when the child is growing up.

A father is a role model too. The way he behaves, acts and reacts, carries himself, interacts with others etc. are all watched by the child and imitated in many ways. The child is consciously and sub-consciously watching the father's actions and learning from it. If the father is calm and cool, so the child shall be. If the father is temperamental, the child thinks that this is normal behaviour and picks up cues from him. In rare cases, the child may reject negative behaviour and behave in a positive manner.

He gives a sense of security to the child in more ways than one. The child with a father to fall back on is a more confident and balanced child. The child grows up with a comfort that the father will protect and support the child at all times. The child also behaves with responsibility if there is a fear of retribution from a disciplinarian father.

In my view, the most important role of the father, besides being there, giving love and showing commitment and responsibility, is to inculcate values into the child. He is the first teacher to the child, after the mother, who gives the child the sense of values. He is the one who encourages good behaviour and prevents bad behaviour from becoming a habit. He constantly demonstrates to the child how to live life and how to face situations that life throws at us. He is ever watchful of the child and her progress. He is the one who shapes the child into becoming a useful and mature adult by giving her the values system that becomes hard coded into the child's DNA.

9 comments:

Brajesh Mishra said...

Excellent set of observations. Great blog. Being a father myself, I completely relate to this

Deliberately Thoughtless said...

My dad was in Gulf, and I was brought up in India by my mom. My dad used to come home once in a year. He was like a Santaclaus, appearing once a year, bringing me gifts.. It was almost like fatherless. When he passed away at an early age, there was not much gap felt... Because he was never there as a person for me.. Only the mails and phone calls stopped... So the void was there from the day I was born... I could write pages on this topic.. So better to cap it now..

Good topic.. Especially when women have so much days to celebrate, a day for men makes them feel special too...
Happy Father's day to all the fathers.. Be with your children as much as possible...
Saritha

KParthasarathi said...

Very correctly said.In the world of hurry and craze for money, the fathers in many cases are rarely an influence.Sarita has nicely written on this.There must be a mandatory time set apart to be with children every week to share with them thoughts and values.More than on all that, his own way of living would be the guiding post to the children.An apt article

KParthasarathi said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
lakshmi said...

Very aptly said Vish


it is the quality time that we give to our children that creates the best child in them........

Sneha Shrivastava said...

I just love your post. As for me, i idolize my father and that is the reason my thinking my habits many of my likes and dislikes are very similar to his.:)

You have a nice blog.

keep writing for all of us.:)

Sonal Raisinghani said...

Very truly said by sneha,I too idiolize my father.
I do feel the void after I lost him.

Anonymous said...

I seldom leave comments on blog, but I have been to this post which was recommended by my friend, lots of valuable details, thanks again.

venkatesh said...

i have a 9 months baby so am serchig for this type of topics.Thank u very musch vish
venkatesh.sayani