From the moment a child enters this world, until such time as he leaves this world, a primary influence in his decisions, how he acts, how he responds to others and how he feels about himself will be related to his Father’s presence in his life.
A Father’s Presence in His Child’s Life
Life gets complicated sometimes. Unemployment, emotional hardship and divorce are all reasons for children to be separated from their fathers. Even working dad’s that live with their kids can be separated emotionally or physically from their children for long durations or short spurts. While it is true that not all people have the same capacities and capabilities to care for their children, most have the capacity to make their presence known to their children in many, many ways.
Daily life: A father’s influence in the life of his child:
If parents are lucky enough to live with their children every day, they have the ability to see and hear, and touch their children. A Father’s presence in his child’s life can provide stability, warmth, guidance not only through words but by leading through examples. Children pick up signals from their environment that will shape their decisions and sense of self worth.
If a Father’s presence in his child’s life is periodic:
Perhaps the father travels, or the parents are divorced and custody is shared or split. The child goes back and forth periodically between his mother and his father’s home. The occasions can be squandered away by delegating responsibilities, or they can be used as a stepping point for a long lasting adult relationship when the child is old enough to make decisions for themselves.
How the father reacts to the stress of the divorce; how supportive he is to his child’s needs;and the maturity and sensitivity he brings to the situation can set the standard for how the child learns to deal with life’s tough decisions in his or her own future.
If a Father’s presence in his child’s life is sporadic:
Certain employment situations such as the armed services’, or traveling engineers, or political representatives can put a father in a situation where they are forced to be at far distances from their families for long periods of time.
While the situation is unfortunate for those involved, it might be a civic duty or economical situation that calls a father from his home environment. No matter the situation, a father can still have a positive influence on his child’s life through letters, phone calls, and internet mediums such as Facebook, Myspace and Twitter.
If a Father fails to show up at all in his child’s life:
Adoption may be one reason while a child never knows his birth father. Jail, incarceration, emotional problems, addictions, disease, or death are other reasons why a father may never be able to see their child. That doesn’t mean that they don’t influence their child’s life.
Family members, friends and adoptive parents have the gift of bringing forth the positive memories, and building a strong foundation for children in all circumstances to have positive images of their fathers.
Social networking and reaching out to someone at a distance has never been so easy:
As we have seen recently with earthquakes and snow storms, staying connected even when at a distance is not as impossible as it used to be to accomplish. A father’s presence in his child’s life can be a simple as a random text that says, “I love you!,” to as complicated as owning and operating a business together. But there is no doubt about it, a father’s presence in his child’s life is significant.