Do numbers and statistics speak to you? How about these? A child from a fatherless home is: * Five times more likely to commit suicide * Thirty-two times more likely to run away * Twenty times more likely to have behavioral disorders * Fourteen times more likely to commit rape (this applies to boys) * Nine times more likely to drop out of high school * Ten times more likely to abuse chemical substances * Nine times more likely to end up in a state-operated or charitable institution * Twenty times more like to end up in prison for a long period of time Are you not outraged by those statistics? Do you understand the consequences of these numbers? FIVE times more likely to commit suicide! FOURTEEN times more likely to commit rape! RAPE for God's sake! Next time you go to your kid's school, look around the room. How many of those children are in a home without a father? These are your next generation of murderers, rapists, indigents, mentally unstable and emotionally dangerous adults. I'm not trying to scare you, but we just can't afford to ignore the consequences of Absentee Fathers any longer. The solution is so apparent teach boys and young men to be nurturing, affectionate and supportive fathers. Then give them tools to make that happen. Jeez, this seems too easy. . .and, of course, it is. The problem is not the next generation of fathers, but the current crop. Boys and young men will learn from their own fathers how to be fathers. Often, they are the worst teachers. So, the vicious cycle continues and the problem gets worse unless. . . We admit that ignorance is the culprit. Nobody sets out to be an Absentee Dad. But Dads do only what they know how to do. Being male no more makes you qualified to be a father than owning a piano makes you a pianist. Training, practice, hard work, and support are required. So many fathers are turning to the Internet to find support. And it's a great resource. Check out sites like Armin Brott's Mr.Dad at http://www.MrDad.com. Or, if you're a stay-at-home dad, look at http://www.Slowlane.com to find friendly support. Find a coach. Locally, you'll find psychologists and behaviorists who are qualified parenting coaches. Online, check out Mark Brandenburg at http://www.MarkBrandenburg.com. Don't make the mistake of believing that because you've got a kid, you know how to parent him. That's just hubris of the most dangerous kind. Dad not only nurtures the personality of the child but also the development of the child's self-confidence and self-esteem. The cause of psychological abnormalities or disorders in children like low self-esteem is mostly a result of the absence of fathers in their lives according to studies. It's up to you to get the training. We have to take a test to drive on the highways, but none is required to raise our children! Surely, there's more we can do. |
