Loving Fathers

                Fathers can do many things to strengthen their families.  One of the most important things Dad can do is to truly love the mother of his children.  Even when a marriage falls apart, Dad can still show respect for his ex-wife.  The relationship between a father and a mother is the very most important relationship in the lives of their children.  This is the number one relationship that parents need to strengthen in order to strengthen their family.

                There are many others things that loving fathers can do for their children.  All Pro Dad published an article listing ten things a loving father can do for his children.  The first thing listed – before the numbering even began – was that a loving father will always protect his children, even to the sacrifice of his life.  The numbers included (1) A loving father would love his wife without reservation, (2) He would love his children unconditionally, (3) He would grow up and be a responsible man, (4) He would give his children both quality time and quantity time, (5) He would provide for his wife and children to the very best of his ability, (6) He would be consistent in balancing accountability with “love-drenched discipline,” (7) He would demonstrate to his children by his words and actions that he values education by reading with them and helping them with homework, (8) He would prepare his children for the time they were adults and established families of their own, (9) He would teach them to accept responsibility for their own words and actions, and (10) He would help them learn to be happy in this life.

                I believe that all of the above actions would come from fathers who truly love their children, but I would add a few more very important things a loving father would do:  (1) He would pray with and for his children, (2) He would teach his children to love God by studying the scriptures with them and taking them to church, (3) He would show his sons how to become real men and his daughters the kind of man to choose for their husbands, (4) He would teach his children to be tough enough to defend themselves but gentle enough to be kind.

                There are certain things that only a father can teach his children, and children need their father in their lives to do so.  When a father accept his responsibility to lead his family in a loving way and to provide for and protect his wife and children, his wife is then able to spend her time nurturing the children and caring for her husband.  When a husband does not carry his responsibilities – for whatever reason, the wife has to spread her time and energy to more than what she should be doing. 

                Fathers play a very important role in their families; when they play that role well, they strengthen their own family as well as show a good example to other fathers who maybe did not have a good role model in their youth.  Fathers can strengthen their families, communities, and nation by fulfilling their very important role in their family unit.