Come mek wi celebrate fathers

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Last Mother’s Day, the strains of Mama by popular harmony group Boyz II Men and Thank You Mama by Sizzla Kalonji blared from sound systems as they competed for the number one spot in the hearts of consumers shopping for Mother’s Day gifts.

It is no secret, the celebration of Mother’s Day catapults to euphoric levels annually as opposed to Father’s Day, which is lacklustre.

Months leading up to the day, various adverts about mothers, through different mediums, flood their spaces. Alluring promises of gifts – monetary, gift vouchers, enticing vacation get-a-way packages are the usual offerings.

But what of fathers? Why aren’t they celebrated as much? Do they contribute to the less-than-favourable coverage leading up to the day? Some may say yes, but should they be celebrating themselves?

The media and other entities should generate the same energy in recognising fathers as they do mothers.

The uncouth behaviour of some men should never be allowed to mar and overshadow the goodness and effort of others who strive to keep the family together, who have great family values, who will forever be faithful and caring partners, who attend that PTA meeting, who gave their children their first driving lesson, and who ensure that their children’s education and holistic development are paramount to who they will become.

Every child deserves to have a stable father/father figure in their lives. President Obama, in his June 2020 Father’s Day speech, during his visit to the non-profit group Town Hall Education in Washington, lamented his father’s absence and still wonders what his life would have been like had he been a greater presence.

According to the Children’s Bureau, high levels of father involvement are correlated with higher levels of sociability, confidence and self-control in children.

Children with involved fathers are less likely to act out in school or engage in risky behaviours in adolescence. The psychological harm of father absence experienced during childhood persists throughout the life course.

Awkward though some situations might be in broken relationships, it’s imperative that both parties try to foster a healthy relationship between fathers and their children.

To every father and father figure, continue to be a beacon bearer for your children/charges. To the not-so-active fathers, reach out and take responsibility. Your child/children did not ask to be here.

Come mek wi celebrate Father’s Day on June 18, 2023!

SEKARD