Fatherhood

This weekend I had some good practice with babies in preparation for my adventure into fatherhood.  I spent the weekend with my beautiful bride and we watched a 1-year old, a 4-month old, and a 2-month old (all at separate times–I still need more practice before I am ready to take on more than one at a time).  I also got to take care of a 3-month old during the last hour of church today, all by myself.  If any of you know my wife, you’ll recognize that she is having a good influence on me 🙂

To be absolutely honest, fatherhood is a scary responsibility.  Not only do I need to provide for and protect my wife who is a fully grown and mature adult, but I also will be called upon to take care of, teach, and discipline our Heavenly Father’s precious children as they come into our lives.  Fortunately for me I have some good mentors and a good woman by my side to whom I can turn to for support and assistance.

The National Fatherhood Institute (www.fatherhood.org) has published some statistics that show just how important a present, caring father really is in the home.  Children in father-absent homes are five times more likely to be poor, 2-3 times more likely to use drugs, twice as likely to engage in early sexual activity, and 7 times as likely to become pregnant as a teenager.

A telephone survey of 701 American men selected to be representative of American fathers showed that 81% agreed that men do better as fathers when they are married to the mother of their children, of the 8 possible choices given 89% said they learned to be a better father from the child’s mother, and 99% agreed that being a father was an important part of their identity.  They have also discovered that over 24 million children in the U.S. (1 out of every 3) live apart from their biological father.

We are blessed to live in a day when we have prophets who lead and guide us. The Family: A Proclamation to the World states “marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God” and that “By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families.”  I am grateful for the clarity with which we are taught our role as fathers within the Church!  We have the teachings of the living prophets, the scriptures, and the example of a loving Heavenly Father to follow as we strive to rear our children in righteousness–and that makes this new role a little easier to shoulder.

I am still preparing to be a good father.  I am grateful for the mothers in our ward who have given me the opportunity to practice on their kids as I have babysat with my wife.  I know that I can be a good father and that Heavenly Father will help me–and everyone else who humbly turns to Him.  May we all continue to do so!