Heroes raising heroes

FATHERS are like the quiet but steady pillar of a family. Their presence isn’t often celebrated but they’d be sorely missed when they’re gone.

Such is the typical character of a father. Quiet but unassuming, yet steady and always ready. They don’t wish for attention or admiration. They just want the job done. And one of their noble jobs is to raise future heroes.

Research has shown that positive and involved fathers greatly help to raise children who are mentally, physically and emotionally balanced.

There are many ways a father can directly and positively be involved in raising the children in the early years. It used to be taboo for fathers to actively participate in raising their kids.

In many Asian cultures, the father’s main role continues to be as head of the family who rarely gets directly involved in the day-to-day matters of child rearing.

But things have changed drastically now as the younger generation of fathers are more than eager to play a more active role.

INVOLVED FATHERS

There are many benefits to having the father helping out. For one, it will greatly reduce the burden and stress on the mother.

This is good because a stressful mum isn’t good for the baby.

Second, by directly interacting with his children, the father gets to enhance the bonding process.

Perhaps the most important reason is that the child of an involved father is proven to be smarter than a child with a relatively uninvolved father.

In their research titled The Hidden Benefits of Involved Fathers, Garret D. Evans and Kate Fogarty of University of Florida concluded that children of involved fathers tend to get higher grades and experience more success in their careers.

Having a more involved father is also associated with positive child characteristics such as empathy, self-esteem, self-control, psychological well-being, social competence, and life skills.

They can make friends more easily and handle difficult social situations better. In addition, their children tend to have fewer behavioural problems

In short, fathers are like heroes raising future heroes — although that may not be their objective.

Walter M. Schirra, Sr., a glorified American war veteran, once said: “You don’t raise heroes, you raise sons (and daughters). And if you treat them like sons (and daughters), they’ll turn out to be heroes, even if it’s just in your own eyes.”

We all have many memories of our fathers. Whether they’re still with us or are gone, fathers have their own ways of shaping our lives to what it is today.

I fondly recall my short but sweet memories with my late father, Mohamad Saad. He left us many years ago but I can still feel his lingering presence.

Fast forward many years later, we’re enjoying our fathers’ harvest. I can’t thank my father enough for his wisdom and vision. Otherwise, my path could have been very different. He played his role well as a father. He’s definitely my superhero.

Happy Fathers’ Day to all hero fathers out there!