What is Dad’s Most Important Job?
In years gone by your role as a father was mostly about providing for, or supporting financially, your family.
Over the past two decades, though, more and more research has shown that a father’s sustained involvement with his child has more impact on how that child will develop (and what type of person that child will become later in life) than anything else a father might do.
The reason I say sustained involvement is because spending three hours a month with your child simply isn’t sufficient. As a father, your relationship with your child should be one of the main priorities in your life. Granted, you have other responsibilities. Even with shifting cultural norms (for instance, the percentage of stay at home dads rising) dad is still likely to be the “bread winner” for a family. Even if you are the only income generator for your family, though, you need set aside time to be engaged with your child (overall, though, parents do spend more time with their children today then parents in 1965, but most father’s still admit that they would spend more time with their children if they could).
But being involved with your child shouldn’t be thought of as “work.” First of all, spending time with your child (even if it’s simply playing on the living room floor) is one of the most fun things you’ll ever do. Plus, I guarantee that whatever interests you have, sports, music, movies, whatever, your child will instinctively have as well (well, not a newborn, obviously, but just wait until he gets older). Don’t believe me? What team do you root for? I’m willing to bet it’s the same one as your own father.
And being an involved father doesn’t have to wait until your child is older, either. Sure, you can’t really take a six month old surfing. But you could take a six month old on a short trip to the beach to watch some surfing (provided your kid has on some sunscreen and a hat). By introducing your child, early on, to the things you love you’ll be setting a foundation on which the two of you can share experiences for years to come, and it’s those experiences that will enrich your child’s life more than just about anything else.
