“A Better Society, One Child at a Time.”
That was the subtitle I chose for my book, “The Power of Dadhood”. My publisher, Familius LLC, changed the subtitle to “How to Become the Father Your Child Needs”. This subtitle is not misleading because this is what my book intends to help fathers to do. My only objection being the suggestion that any father receiving it as a gift may get the wrong impression from the giver. Of course, no judgement is being made. I’m not complaining, but I want to explain the reason for my original subtitle.
As great as our American society is, we have pockets where crime, poverty and drug use are serious problems. These issues and others come intertwined. Find one of these issues and you’ll find the others. Grand ideas to fix these issues come and go. None will work without getting to the root causes and the finding the solutions for those root causes. It may not surprise you that in my mind, the root cause is the breakdown of the nuclear family; and the primary cause of that breakdown is a lack of nurturing fathers in the home!
I believe prevention is much more effective than developing cures. Children brought up in a loving, nurturing atmosphere are not as likely, by far, to become criminals, drug users, or to find themselves in poverty. I can almost read your minds as you say to yourself, “Well, obviously!” So, if being so obvious, as a preventative measure, then where is the grand idea, the grand plan to cause more families to be whole?
How do we fight crime? Crime is fought by the increased presence of police, or cameras (less freedom for all), or through punishment. Wouldn’t crime be better decreased by having better citizens? Fathers working with mothers are key in this effort!
Food pantries help feed the hungry. How does that happen in America? Would not a young girl, raised in a two-parent family, who has been shown love and how to be properly treated, have a much better chance of finding the right man to marry. And would she not be likely to become a teen pregnant and alone, finding it difficult to feed her family?
The rising cost of healthcare is a problem for all. The health habits of people are highly affected by how they were raised. Were fruits and vegetables a big part of your family’s diet? Or were fast foods much more common? Did parents smoke and pass on the habit? No doubt smoking and being overweight are huge problems for individuals and the healthcare system that takes care of them. An even more tragic healthcare issue is drug use!
While even the best of families have issues with drug use, it is far more prevalent in broken and dysfunctional homes. Drugs lead to more crime, more deaths, greater healthcare issues, less schooling, and mental issues. It’s not difficult to understand why drug dealers work in impoverished areas, where crime is rampant to pay for habits.
Our greatest natural resource is our youth! How our youth become contributing, even outstanding citizens, depends on how we raise them. So, if each mom and dad showed love and understanding, while consistently valuing and enforcing principles, our youth will feel love, have skills, and see the future as hopeful for them. A few of our youth will stray anyway, despite our best efforts. And some children raised in chaos break through somehow and experience success. These, however, are very rare anomalies. Don’t leave the fate of your children to chance.
Moms are more often in the picture regarding their children. Dads are the parent usually missing or unfamiliar with their role. It’s not always the fault of fathers. Sometimes dads are not allowed, or discouraged by moms, to be involved in raising their kids. Some fathers are too young or selfish to be involved, having come from dysfunctional homes themselves, still lost in the cycle. The new dads, those without examples, need our help. They can stop the cycles in their families with our help.
Imagine if every home had nurturing parents! Imagine is every child had both a male and female mentor. In a generation or two, crime, drugs, teen births, etc. would be decreased tremendously!! One child at a time!
That was the subtitle I chose for my book, “The Power of Dadhood”. My publisher, Familius LLC, changed the subtitle to “How to Become the Father Your Child Needs”. This subtitle is not misleading because this is what my book intends to help fathers to do. My only objection being the suggestion that any father receiving it as a gift may get the wrong impression from the giver. Of course, no judgement is being made. I’m not complaining, but I want to explain the reason for my original subtitle.
As great as our American society is, we have pockets where crime, poverty and drug use are serious problems. These issues and others come intertwined. Find one of these issues and you’ll find the others. Grand ideas to fix these issues come and go. None will work without getting to the root causes and the finding the solutions for those root causes. It may not surprise you that in my mind, the root cause is the breakdown of the nuclear family; and the primary cause of that breakdown is a lack of nurturing fathers in the home!
I believe prevention is much more effective than developing cures. Children brought up in a loving, nurturing atmosphere are not as likely, by far, to become criminals, drug users, or to find themselves in poverty. I can almost read your minds as you say to yourself, “Well, obviously!” So, if being so obvious, as a preventative measure, then where is the grand idea, the grand plan to cause more families to be whole?
How do we fight crime? Crime is fought by the increased presence of police, or cameras (less freedom for all), or through punishment. Wouldn’t crime be better decreased by having better citizens? Fathers working with mothers are key in this effort!
Food pantries help feed the hungry. How does that happen in America? Would not a young girl, raised in a two-parent family, who has been shown love and how to be properly treated, have a much better chance of finding the right man to marry. And would she not be likely to become a teen pregnant and alone, finding it difficult to feed her family?
The rising cost of healthcare is a problem for all. The health habits of people are highly affected by how they were raised. Were fruits and vegetables a big part of your family’s diet? Or were fast foods much more common? Did parents smoke and pass on the habit? No doubt smoking and being overweight are huge problems for individuals and the healthcare system that takes care of them. An even more tragic healthcare issue is drug use!
While even the best of families have issues with drug use, it is far more prevalent in broken and dysfunctional homes. Drugs lead to more crime, more deaths, greater healthcare issues, less schooling, and mental issues. It’s not difficult to understand why drug dealers work in impoverished areas, where crime is rampant to pay for habits.
Our greatest natural resource is our youth! How our youth become contributing, even outstanding citizens, depends on how we raise them. So, if each mom and dad showed love and understanding, while consistently valuing and enforcing principles, our youth will feel love, have skills, and see the future as hopeful for them. A few of our youth will stray anyway, despite our best efforts. And some children raised in chaos break through somehow and experience success. These, however, are very rare anomalies. Don’t leave the fate of your children to chance.
Moms are more often in the picture regarding their children. Dads are the parent usually missing or unfamiliar with their role. It’s not always the fault of fathers. Sometimes dads are not allowed, or discouraged by moms, to be involved in raising their kids. Some fathers are too young or selfish to be involved, having come from dysfunctional homes themselves, still lost in the cycle. The new dads, those without examples, need our help. They can stop the cycles in their families with our help.
Imagine if every home had nurturing parents! Imagine is every child had both a male and female mentor. In a generation or two, crime, drugs, teen births, etc. would be decreased tremendously!! One child at a time!
