WTVM Editorial 07/01/22: Why We Need A Father’s Month

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) - There are many months of the year devoted to special groups: June, for instance, is LGBTQ Pride Month.

February is Black History Month. March is Women’s History Month. And so on.

But another special group deserving of a whole month of celebration, only gets one day: FATHER’S DAY.

Fathers play an indispensable role in their child’s lives and should get more acknowledgement than just the third Sunday in June.

When fathers are absent - for any reason - children have a void in their lives that even the best, most accomplished single mother cannot fill. This is not meant to disparage any other family combinations. Every family has value no matter how it’s structured.

But according to the majority of studies on fatherhood over the past forty years, caring, engaged fathers positively influence almost every measure of child wellbeing.

Children who grow up with involved fathers are three times more likely to achieve top grades in school and have better social skills.

A study from the Child and Family Research Partnership says young girls with an active father in their lives are 75% less likely to have a teen pregnancy.

Psychology Today reports that 85 percent of young men in prison had an absent father. Unfortunately, fatherless children often experience behavioral issues and earn lower incomes.

None of this is to suggest Mothers are any less valuable than Dads. The mother-child bond is one of the strongest on earth.

But just for these few moments, giving fathers their due is something that needs to be said.

The more we can celebrate fathers and encourage them to be a supportive presence in their child’s life, the better off that child will be.

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