Devon Dick, Contributor
In another three days, we celebrate another Fathers' Day or is it Father's Day or should it be Fathers Day.The most popular designation in advertisements and in the print media is Father's Day, with apostrophe 's' (father's day) instead of 's' apostrophe (Fathers' Day).It seems to mean that if the day is for all fathers, then it should not be Father's Day because that implies one father.
At primary school, students are taught that apostrophe 's' denotes the singular while 's' apostrophe denotes the plural.I suspect those who persist with Father's Day would claim that it originated in the USA in that form.
It must be confusing for students to be taught the difference between the singular and the plural and it is not being adhered to in the media.Is it a day of father or a day of fathers?Perhaps we should forget about the apostrophe and make it 'Fathers Day'.
Headlines Delivered to Your Inbox
It is important to get it right.It should be unmistakable that we are talking about all fathers.It is not only celebrating a good father.It is not commemorating some or most fathers.It is all fathers, whether good or bad.Fathers Day is not a celebration of the individual father as if there is some competition for world's best father.It is a celebration of fatherhood and the importance of fatherhood in home, church and society.
Birth certificate
And the reality is that most single-parent homes are headed by mothers.Fathers Day provides an opportunity for fathers to be part of family life.Far too many birth certificates do not have the father's name on it.Every child has a right to know the name of his or her father.Every child has a right to know his or her origin.Every child should know the two different family backgrounds that form part of his or her heritage.The time has long past when it should be mandatory for every birth certificate to carry the name of the father.
In addition, the structure of industrial relations makes bonding between mother and child more likely than between father and child.There is provision for an employed mother, after the delivery of the child, for a minimum of eight weeks maternity leave.However, there is no recognition of paternity leave.It seems reasonable that fathers should get at least two weeks paternity leave to a maximum of three children.
Crucial time
The role of the father in the last days of the pregnancy and the days immediately after the birth of the child is crucial.It can set the tone for a meaningful role for the father.And as far as possible, the fathers should be encouraged to be in the delivery room and to have a week of undisturbed relationship with the newborn baby.Furthermore, too often when the child is ill, it is expected that the mother will take time off to take the child to the doctor but no such expectation of the father.It is also largely assumed that the mothers will attend Parent-Teacher Association meetings and no joint role for fathers.
And it seems that successful men are ones who work long hours and have little or no quality time as fathers.In addition, when they are invited to functions, usually the invitation rarely includes the spouse and definitely not the children.Therefore, many children are excluded from their fathers' work world and work friends.
Fathers Day provides an opportunity to make fatherhood central to family life. Happy Fathers Day to all my readers.
Rev Devon Dick is pastor of the Boulevard Baptist Church. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com
