KIDS NEED FATHERS IN THEIR LIVES

Sir,

Some of the widespread social ills of this generation are due to children growing without their fathers, who abandon single mothers to fend for themselves or dump  their kids on their grandmothers. Many Emaswati children are growing up without their fathers, even though these men are alive. We know that children who grow up with absent-fathers can suffer long-lasting damage. They are more likely to end up in poverty or drop out of school, become addicted to drugs, have a child out of wedlock, or end up in prison.

Aggressive

Psychological studies show that children growing up without fathers are more likely to be aggressive and quick to anger. Silent anger doesn’t have a proper release valve, it just builds up like a growing monster, maturing right along with you. It is true that early bonding gives the child the confidence needed to develop. Children who grow up without a father suffer emotionally, intellectually and socially in terms of behaviour. Girls in particular, suffer from low self-esteem and have higher levels of risky sexual behaviour. Boys who grow up without a father are most likely to engage in over-compensatory masculine behaviour later on in life. Emotionally present fathers can play a fundamental role in the development of their children. Being a financial provider is no longer the only requirement for fatherhood.

Responsibility

Fathers need to be real men by taking the responsibility of supporting their own children. I saw a post on social media about a young girl who was pleading with the masses to help her locate her father. The poor girl was asking the public to reach out to him because she needed school uniform. It has unfortunately become a norm in our country for fathers to neglect their own children. The gap left by the absent fathers can’t be filled by any other human being. Being an abandoned child is a painful experience as you watch other kids having fun with their fathers. Despite all circumstances in life, men need to own up and maintain their children. We have seen too many cases of child maintenance, where men, even those earning decent salaries being taken to court. One day, they will answer to God for their actions.

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