“What more could we do for the world right now than help dads be great dads?” John Eldridge – Wild at Heart
Last Wednesday night, author of ‘Raising Fathers’ Robert Falzon came to St Edmund’s and unpacked practical advice and stories that are powerfully important, informative and instructional for fathering in today’s world.
The following piece covers some of what he spoke about.
There is no degree at university or training manual that teaches someone how to be a father. Even if there was, the real-life experience of having children, much like any other job is learnt while living it. The education that most of us receive on how to be a father is from the role that your father provided. This can be positive if the relationship between father and son or father and daughter was loving, often in society it’s not for a variety of reasons.
Robert Falzon’s book ‘Raising Fathers’ cites some valuable statistics to reflect on:
· One in three families if fatherless.
· Approximately 40% of our teenagers grow up in a home without their biological father.
· Over a million Australian children will go to bed tonight in a home without one parent- usually the father.
These statistics are presented to with the hope of leading to an open dialogue for men and women. In particular the need for men to continue to work on themselves through self-improvement that involves their wife/partner and children. As men, sometimes we perceive that we’re bullet-proof and have all the answers. The reality is that we need to continue work on our relationships through regular goal setting, spending quality time with each other and working out how to love each other. There are five main ways to love someone, words of affirmation, acts of service, quality time, receiving gifts and physical touch. The important lesson is to discover how the person in your life (wife or child) wants to be loved. For my wife and I our shared number one love language is quality time. Therefore, time needs to be made a priority in all the other distractions of life.
The benefits of having a mother and a father present who love each other and their children can assist children to reach for the stars. As a father and mother your role can positively influence your child’s entire life not just their childhood.
At St Edmund’s, we have so many fathers and guardians that do a fantastic job supporting their young men. These fathers and guardians are called upon to communicate with each other and assist each other to navigate some of the challenges that today’s society presents. Fathers and guardians need a support network of friends and mates to both encourage and challenge them.
We pray that these men who undertake the life-giving role of a father/ guardian are willing and able to best serve their wife/partner and their children. That the learning environment of being a parent is never fixed and there is always room for personal growth.
For a copy of the book please go click on the following link or visit the Catholic bookshop Ground Floor, 55 Franklin St, Forrest ACT 2603.
Michael Monagle
Assistant Principal – Mission and Identity
Christus Lux Mea