THE SIGNIFICANCE OF FATHER'S DAY BY ISRAEL KASHIM AUDU

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF FATHER'S DAY BY ISRAEL KASHIM AUDU


Alot of people think we don't celebrate father's day or acknowledge father's day like mother's day celebration. Third Sunday of June is celebrated as Father’s Day in most parts of the world. Father’s Day is a celebration of fathers, honouring fatherhood, paternal bonds and the role fathers play in society. This day was first proposed in 1909 to complement Mother’s Day celebrations.

In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson issued the first presidential proclamation honoring fathers, designating the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. Six years later, the day was made a permanent national holiday when President Richard Nixon signed it into law in 1972.

As we celebrate father's day 21st of June 2020 for the Christians and Catholics please always remember your priest in prayers who are also called Rev. Fathers that the Lord will continue to give them the grace to carry on with God's work and the ministry.

Significance of father's day.

On this day children acknowledge and appreciate their fathers and father figures, who play an important role in their lives, be it emotionally, mentally or even financially. On this day children understand the importance of the role of a father in one’s life. This day acknowledges the contribution of fathers to their own families and society at large. Children buy or make presents for their father or father-like figure, write and draw cards, spend the day engaging in activities that can be enjoyed with one’s father, be it hiking, fishing or just sitting around watching some television. In India especially, most kids have a closer bond with their mothers, so this day definitely helps forge a closer relation with one’s dad.

While India follows the US, and celebrates Father’s Day on the third Sunday of June every year, in other countries including Portugal, Spain, Croatia, Italy, Father’s Day is celebrated on March 19. And even though this is a Western tradition started in the United States of America, it has gained a lot of prominence in India in the past many years.

History



The day was founded in USA, where it is celebrated on the third Sunday of June, at the Spokane, Washington YMCA in 1910 by Sonora Smart Dodd. That year, Father’s Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910. Sonora heard about how Anna Jarvis had founded Mother’s Day in honour of her mother and told the pastor of her Church that there should be something similar to celebrate fathers too. Sonora’s father was Civil War veteran William Jackson Smart, a single parent from Arkansas who raised six children. Sonora was hoping that Father’s Day celebrations would be held on June 5, which was her father’s birthday, but the Church’s time constraints ended up pushing this day and the celebration was deferred to the third Sunday of June.

Anyone can father a child, but being a dad takes a lifetime. Fathers play a role in every child’s life that cannot be filled by others. This role can have a large impact on a child and help shape him or her into the person they become.

Fathers and Emotional Development
Fathers, like mothers, are pillars in the development of a child’s emotional well-being. Children look to their fathers to lay down the rules and enforce them. They also look to their fathers to provide a feeling of security, both physical and emotional. Children want to make their fathers proud, and an involved father promotes inner growth and strength. Studies have shown that when fathers are affectionate and supportive, it greatly affects a child’s cognitive and social development. It also instills an overall sense of well-being and self confidence.

Fathers Set the Bar for Relationships with Others
Fathers not only influence who we are inside, but how we have relationships with people as we grow. The way a father treats his child will influence what he or she looks for in other people. Friends, lovers, and spouses will all be chosen based on how the child perceived the meaning of the relationship with his or her father. The patterns a father sets in the relationships with his children will dictate how his children relate with other people. As a father know when to be hash and soft to your kids.

Fathers and Their Daughters
Young girls depend on their fathers for security and emotional support. A father shows his daughter what a good relationship with a man is like. If a father is loving and gentle, his daughter will look for those qualities in men when she’s old enough to begin dating. If a father is strong and valiant, she will relate closely to men of the same character.

Fathers and Their Sons
Unlike girls, who model their relationships with others based on their father’s character, boys model themselves after their father’s character. Boys will seek approval from their fathers from a very young age. As human beings, we grow up by imitating the behavior of those around us; that’s how we learn to function in the world. If a father is caring and treats people with respect, the young boy will grow up much the same. When a father is absent, young boys look to other male figures to set the “rules” for how to behave and survive in the world.


Parents play very important role in the growth process of their child. In some cases, fathers and mothers complement each other’s role but some responsibilities are to be performed solely by the fathers. For the children, father is the hero within the family. The behaviour and activities of a father affect a child immensely so fathers must act responsibly. A responsible father will always ensure that his kids get a healthy environment to grow up physically and mentally both.

 10 responsibilities of fathers in child development are discussed below:
1. Father is Always a Protector.
Children feel safe and secured when they have their father around. Children can concentrate on their work and activities better when they feel secured so father has the responsibility to persuade his children that he is there to protect them from any problem.

2. Opens Up the World for the Kids.
Father is like a big window that opens up the entire world in front of the children. The children start getting acquainted with the entire world through the eyes of their father. For the children their father is the best guide to teach them what is what in this world and fathers have the responsibilities to keep up to their child’s exception.

3. Unconditional Love.

Fathers have the responsibility to make sure that their children know how much their fathers love them and they love them without any condition. Fathers must not encourage their children in doing things wrong but they must shower their love for their children without going into any condition.

4. Show Love and Respect for the Partner.

Fathers must show their love and respect to their partner. Only when fathers show respect and love to their partners, children would learn to respect their mothers and other elders. Fathers should never show any disgrace to the kids’ mothers.

5. Spending Quality Time.

Children always appreciate when they find their father spending quality time for them. Quality of time that a father spends with the child is much more important than the quantity of time spent with the child.

6. Teaching Discipline.

Fathers must take the responsibility of teaching discipline to their children. Fathers have the responsibility to specify clear boundaries for their children so that they understand what they can do and what they cannot.

7. Teaching Accountability.

Fathers can teach the sense of accountability to their children. It is important that children learn the importance of accountability in their life and it is better it is taught to the children by their parents at an early age.

8. Involve In the Studies.

Expecting the children to perform well in their exams without even knowing what they are studying is just not done. Fathers must get involve with their kids’ studies. They must not only read to their children rather they should read with their children.

9. Teach Taking Responsibilities.

Only when children watch their fathers taking responsibilities, they will learn taking responsibilities at various stages of their lives. Fathers must take enough responsibilities in doing household activities and outside work also. This will encourage their children in being responsible enough.

10. Be a Provider.

Children consider their father to be the main provider of all materialistic items. That does not mean that fathers must fulfil all the demands of their children but they must identify the needs of their children and try to fulfil them. Fathers would surely love to fulfil all the needs of their children and family but they should never do it by going beyond their spending limitations and teach their children the importance of savings.
Father and mother are two important pillars of a family and children need both of them while they grow up. That is why it is very important for the fathers to behave responsibly.

For the single fathers today raising children alone I pray today that God give them more and strength to carry on with their responsibilities.

For those who death have taken their father away today we pray that the Lord comfort them.

Remember don’t forget to tell your dad you love him, and thanks for being there.

I love you all.


Israel Kashim Audu.