DadsAdventure

The Renaissance of Fatherhood In America

America has some very good news during these turbulent times, and it is time not only to celebrate but look forward to great progress in the future. After decades of hearing that our national cup of fatherhood is half empty, we can report that it is three quarters full and rising.

After over a century of deterioration and decay, beginning with the industrial revolution when men left their farm and home for factories, and culminating in a cultural norm that childcare was “women’s work”, the rebuilding of the institution of fatherhood in America is well underway. Fathers of all types across the nation have embraced the opportunity to be a big part of their children’s lives, and are exerting an enormously constructive influence on our families and communities.

The data on dad’s involvement is conclusive, but the most poignant evidence is in our homes, playgrounds, malls, airports, churches, etc. Men are simply caring for their children more, holding them, focusing on their needs, taking pride in their important role and discovering the immense joys and rewards their children can bring. We are not going back.

Today’s dads have raised the bar for all fathers, and each succeeding generation is pushing that bar higher. This transformation in the role of fathers promises to mitigate the massive societal challenges of broken families, hopeless youth, teen pregnancy and even violence, all with a direct relationship to inadequate or absent fathers.

We still have a long way to go, and we should anticipate a century of progress as men use their creativity and drive to search for innovative and meaningful ways to contribute to the lives of their children. We will also reach a time soon when our younger brothers and their friends understand that failure as a father is no longer an option.

The power of a father's love was repressed for a long time, but it has been unleashed. We dads are discovering again its immense depth and strength that enables us to do whatever it takes for our kids. There are still great reserves to tap, and we can look forward our sons doubling down on the love, involvement, and guidance we provide them for their own sons, who in turn raise the bar for their sons. This movement will endure because it is coming from our hearts and souls.

Throughout history men have responded to the challenges presented by society. America’s fathers accepted the challenge to build something important, to take another hill, and this time it is in our own backyards. We are building in more yards every year, and we can look forward to making the world a better place for all our kids.