Quote:
Originally Posted by MMM
You would think so, but I meant it in all seriousness. How many times have I heard single mothers say "I play the role of the mom and the dad"?
No. You don't. You can't be both to a child. That doesn't mean you can't raise a child alone, but that child will be missing something without a father, just as he would be missing something without a mother.
I get the feeling (not from you, Yuna) that there is a sense in the world that the role of the father is...less important than that of the mother. I think that needs more close examination. The truckloads of statistics I found, (I only posted a handful) seem to indicate that without a father around, children have more trouble.
I am all for stay-at-home dads, but you are right. A stay-at-home dad is not a mother. Just as a stay-at-home mother is not a father.
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Having a father is
definitely just as important as having a mother. And I do agree that in today's society, parents try to take on both roles because of divorce, unexpected pregnancy, etc.
I think it's horrible that the idea of having a father or a father-like figure in a child's life seems kind of ousted. Having a father helps give different perspective, helps reinforce parental rules, and another helping member of the household.
We also see in much media today that males are usually very silly and irresponsible, and fathers often seem to be the "bad parent" in films that revolve around divorce or parent separation.
Not only the mother supports and nurtures children, but the father can really make a difference, like you said, or nurture in a different way. If the father does most work (out of the house) and doesn't get as much time with the children compared to the mother... he's still there, and the children have another supporting pillar in their life. I think having NO father would just be a little psychologically weird or confusing to small children and their development.