Celebrating Father’s Day: The Evolution and Influence of Fatherhood

While deciding on the topic for the week dedicated to Father's Day, I wanted to learn about its origins. After researching, I consistently found this fact: "Father's Day is an annual holiday honoring people's fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. It was first proposed by Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington, in 1909. Her father, a Civil War veteran, raised her and her five siblings after their mother died in childbirth."

In our digitized, increasingly borderless world, Father's Day celebrations have spread from the United States to other countries. In Indian culture, fathers are traditionally regarded as the head of the household, responsible for providing for their families and serving as role models for their children.

Children often create perceptions of their fathers as strict, lenient, or otherwise, based on their interactions. In child-rearing, mothers typically take on a more hands-on role, while fathers provide support. For instance, children are born from their mother's body, receive their first nourishment from her, and if she doesn't work, the father provides financial support. In many instances, mothers are at the forefront of childcare, with fathers playing a supportive or substitute role. Because mothers are more involved in day-to-day upbringing, children often model their personalities based on their father's behavior, either aspiring to be like him or choosing a different path. Compared to mothers, fathers are generally perceived as less involved, which might contribute to the perception of fathers as stronger or harsher.

However, this dynamic is changing in many households. Fathers now share roles traditionally confined to mothers, such as feeding the kids, cooking, and getting them ready for school, while mothers contribute to the family's income. The roles of father and mother have become more fluid, especially with the rise of hybrid working environments post-COVID-19. While both parents are capable of taking on each other's roles, the ecosystem works best when both are actively involved.

Children often view their fathers as heroes, regardless of whether their father is a celebrity or holds a senior position. There is usually something valuable that their father has taught them, which becomes a key tool in their life. As a father myself, I would consider myself successful if my son feels free to discuss anything with me and if I can understand him.