Thanks, fathers, for being there

Well-known sociologist Dr. David Popenoe hit the nail on the head when he concluded that, “Fathers are far more than just (as) ‘second adults’ in the home.”

Of course, that’s true. And there’s plenty of research that shows children of two-parent homes that include a positive fatherly influence are much more likely to achieve.

On Father’s Day, it’s particularly important to consider the estimated 14 million single-parent families raising 21.6 million children in the United States, according to the Single Parent Center.

When calculating a father’s influence, just being there is enough to make a difference in a child’s life, the federal Office on Child Abuse and Neglect reports.

“One of the most important influences a father can have on his child is indirect,” according the OCAN report “The Importance of Fathers in the Healthy Development of Children.”

“Fathers influence their children in large part through the quality of their relationship with the mother of their children,” the report says. “A father who has a good relationship with the mother of their children is more likely to be involved and to spend time with their children and to have children who are psychologically and emotionally healthier.”

Along with emotional health, involved fathers also help children to be better performers in school, and even fathers who play with their children as infants can influence higher IQs.

While mothers are celebrated — and rightfully so — the importance of fathers sometimes take a back seat. When Major League Baseball Hall-of-Famer Yogi Berra quipped, “You can observe a lot just by watching,” he could have been talking about how children learn from their fathers.

But you don’t have to take Berra’s word for it.

When asked for a quick memory of how their fathers influenced them, three Frontiersman staffers immediately came up with examples of fathers leading by example.

Newsroom intern Tim Rockey said he recalls that whenever he and his siblings went fishing with his father (Pastor Jonathan Rockey of Palmer), dad always put the kids first. He always made sure the kids had the good fishing pole, the best lure and if a line became tangled, he’d give up his so the kid could continue to fish.

“That’s how I caught my king,” Tim said.

Reporter Andrew Wellner said his father’s subtle influences hit home as an adult, when at age 22 he went camping with his sister and they discovered they didn’t know how to set up camp — dad had always done it.

“You don’t really realize those things until you have to do it yourself,” he said.

For reporter Greg Johnson, his father’s work ethic was a profound influence. His father would take extra jobs to make sure the family had what he considered a good standard of living.

As we celebrate our fathers today and they proudly wear their new, hideous neckties and politely choke down burnt toast with overdone scrambled eggs, thank your fathers for always being there.

And if you’re an absentee father spending this day alone thinking you can’t do anything to make a difference in the lives of your children, think again. Just be there.