There is nothing that compares to a father’s love. Ask any kid.
Out of 20,000 essays submitted to First Things First about what their father means to them, children from elementary age all the way through high school said they wanted time with their father. That was the common theme whether their father was present in the home or not.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released findings from a study of a nationally representative sample of 3,928 fathers, ages 15 to 44, about their involvement in the lives of their children. The study looked at four specific areas that have been linked to positive outcomes for children — eating meals with their children, bathing, diapering or dressing the children, playing with and reading to their children.
Findings from the study indicate that one in six fathers does not live with his children and are less likely to be involved in their children’s lives on a regular basis.
This is a disturbing, since a father’s involvement in the lives of his children has been shown to have a positive effect on their well-being in many areas, including increasing academic success and reducing delinquency and substance abuse.