Challenges to Modern Day Fatherhood
Parenting is no easy task. And since we celebrate Father’s Day in a few days, relative to the date of this post, I will limit my parenting discussion to the male parent. Also, being a father myself, I feel more qualified to speak on fatherhood. My wife and I had the opportunity (and the challenge) to raise six children of our own. In this post, I want to share what I see as some challenges to modern day fatherhood:
The Economy. Of course, we are all affected by the current state of our economy. This subject will certainly be front and center among debates during the 2012 presidential election campaign. According to a report this month from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate remained essentially the same at 9.1 percent for the month of May 2011. For fathers, it’s not just about a job. But they feel less than whole when they can’t properly provide for their families because that’s what every responsible father understands he is supposed to do—take good care of his family. I know; it’s a man-thing. Unfortunately, the current economic forecast is not very good for the foreseeable future.
Afghanistan and Iraq. As we celebrate Father’s Day this weekend, tens of thousands of our fathers will be a long ways from home, fighting the wars. Many of these brave men (and women, but again, I am addressing fatherhood) have had prolonged deployments or multiple tours on enemy territory. Some estimate our spending to be at $2 billion a week to fund the wars, which is insane, since we don’t have the money. But there are other intangible costs as well, such as the ones associated with modern day fatherhood. Imagine the vacuum being created in the area of mentoring for the thousands of teenage sons back home. To me, that spells trouble down the road. I submit to you that the ultimate costs of these wars are yet to be determined.
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