It DOES Matter~

My Dad and I have a great relationship, and all week leading up to Mother's Day I posted Mom - related items, so I decided to do the same thing for Dads.  You may think , if you are a dad, that your position is not as important  as your wife's or  children's mother.  You'd be wrong.  Here are some cold hard facts from the census bureau for what"uninvolved " fathers cost us. 


According to census data of 2009, 24 million children live apart from their biological dads.  That's 1 in 3, or 33%.  In 1960, only 11% of children  lived apart from their fathers.
If they live apart from their fathers, they are 2 to 3 times more likely  to be poor, and to experience physical health problems.  They are 2 to 3 times more likely to experience educational , emotional, and behavioral problems.  They are also 2 to 3 times more likely to engage in criminal activity.

The U. S. Government spends $99.8 billion,  (yes, that 's BILLION , with a B) annually to support father absent homes.

Now , here is the flip side to that.
The single most important factor in developing empathy( the ability to care about others emotional state and feelings) is time spent with DAD.

Babies who spend time with their Daddy in the first year receive high scores on cognitive tests.

Children are more likely to get A's in school if their Dads are involved in their educations.

Children with fathers who are highly involved in their lives, such as eating at the same table with Dad for meals, one on one time and so forth, are more social, and have fewer behavioral problems. 


So Dads, next time you might be thinking that what you do isn't making a difference, it does!  You matter and the things you do matter.  You are so important to the welfare of our children, thank you for all your hard work, and for being great dads!


Ruby Jeanette