Dads, this was our moment!
It was our chance to shine!
We were thrust into a world that we did not see coming, and our families looked to us as they had never done before. And we completely bossed it…
A recent report by the Fatherhood Institute has revealed some really interesting outcomes from the last 12-15 months. As parents we all had to learn many new skills and get involved in parts of life that we may never have had to before, and this was not just about home-schooling. The report showed that, as dads, we spent far more time with our children than we had ever done before. In many ways, we built far stronger relationships with our children as we were forced to see the world more from their point of view. Yes, we did have to learn how to home-school our kids and we did help them so much more with their homework, but dads often started to become better parents, they grew in confidence, and they actually enjoyed having a far greater role to play with their children.
The report also shared that, as dads, we gained a greater understanding and empathy with our partners. We began to understand how tough it was to be a mam, a full-time carer for our kids and wait for it; this led to us doing more housework, more washing up and taking a lead in the weekly shopping.
The past 12-15 months gave many of us the opportunity to see a world that we have traditionally been absent from, or at least not fully present to and we stepped up to the new challenges with a deep sense of privilege and honour.
Dads, this really was our chance to genuinely earn the label of being ‘an unsung hero’!
Yet, on the other side of the coin, it has to be said that it was not easy for all men. Some had to endure the pain of not being able to engage in all the above, not being able to even see their kids for long periods of time. Others found it utterly exhausting and painful. This is not just true for dads, or even men only, but also for mothers and women too.
What a year it has been, we as a team at CVM, want to acknowledge you all and to say we do understand the challenges and the pain but we also want to celebrate the massive wins too.
Where we all go from here is still a mystery being unfolded, but our prayer is that everyone who reads this blog will know and receive the love of God, our real and true Father and that we will continue to work together, as men across the nation, to father and be fathered through the love of Jesus Christ.
Image Credit: bluesbby via Flickr
