Celebrating Father’s day is, I think, more important than celebrating mother’s day. The reason being, mothers have always been loved dearly and poets have always been writing beautiful verses on mother and child. But somehow, we seem to have overlooked the importance of fathers and their role in parenting.
An astrologer once told me – ‘Like in fairytales, where the king’s life would be in some parrot or fish, your father’s life is in you. If you get hurt, he will suffer.” He loved to drop me to school and even to college whenever required. I don’t remember a single incidence in my whole life where I and my brother were treated differently. In short, my father and mother have exactly equal role in shaping us into the person that we are today. And it is the case with most people! But somehow, we tend to openly shower our love on our mother, but rarely express our emotions for father. One reason for this may be that we grew up with the conventional idea of father being the provider and disciplinarian, and mother as the caregiver. Father being the disciplinarian was mostly feared and hence the love remained hidden and unexpressed.
But now we are witnessing a beautiful change – the gentler, caring, nurturing, doting, emotional fathers, who openly shower their love on kids and kids too freely express their immense love for father.
This is a natural evolutionary procedure. As the women had to leave the confines of home and join the workforce to make ends meet in the current competitive world and the joint system dwindled, men had to adjust to the change and share the traditional roles of women as the homemaker. Father and mother equally share the responsibility of fulfilling the emotional and financial needs of the children.
Today’s fathers-
Fathers have truly arrived NOW, as parents! Fathers are as affable and lovable as mothers are. The many reasons for this are-
1. Total involvement- Men are involved in every activity of the child right since pregnancy. The would-be father is equally interested in the growth and movements of the unborn child as the mother. He shares the pain of labor by being present during the delivery. Being part of every moment obviously increases the fondness for the child.
2. Handling infants tenderly- Fathers are the first to hold the new born in their arms. The support of joint family is a thing of the past. So now father talks and plays with the baby when the mother has to attend to other jobs. Today’s fathers know how to change nappies while talking to the child and also how to boil the milk bottle and prepare a perfect porridge for the little one.
3.Going to school- Men love to get their kids ready for school, giving them bath , dressing them up and dropping the kids to the bus stop or school. They are not ashamed anymore to wave to the child as long as he can see her. Parent teacher meetings, annual functions are among the most important events to be attended.
4. Staying at home- Fathers happily stay at home for the kids whenever required. They take leave or come home early if the child is sick or the mother has some other appointments. (As a kid I always wanted my father to be with me whenever I was unwell. He would hear my cries (– ‘I want Papa’) on phone and rush back home, leaving all his work!)
5. Tutoring the child- Fathers take great interest and in many homes they are solely involved in the academic and other activities of the child. They wait for the parent teacher meets to know about their ward’s progress.
6. Understanding the child- Fathers make every effort to understand the needs of the child. For this they become friend to the child, by talking to them as a friend and taking interest and participating in their activities. They regularly read books and articles on parenting to understand the child better and thereby be a good parent. Men today also discuss kids with their colleagues. Most fathers now-a-days are equally familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of the children, as the mothers.
7. Expression of love- Men have broken the psychological barrier of being the tougher species. They now freely hug the child as often they feel like. And because father is no more a mere strict idol, but a lovable friend, kids too freely express their love by hugging and kissing their dear papa fondly.
8. Good cooks- Men are equally efficient in the kitchen. They can dish out tasty recipes whenever they feel like and have time.
Fathers have opened up their natural feminine nurturing instincts as parents. Single fathers too are not a strange thing anymore. Kids are as much free with their father as they are with their mother. Fathers are like angels from a beautiful world who are strong and soft at the same time, protecting and caring with equal efficiency. Hats off to the modern day fathers!
Happy Father’s Day To All Loving Fathers!
