Anyone can father a child, but being a dad takes a lifetime of love, commitment and patience. This is the message that is being put out to the public ahead of Father’s Day on 20 June.
As the world prepares to pay homage to dads, Liesel Bester, a woman and child advocate, expert in child psychology and social worker, says that fathers set the bar for their children’s relationships with others. Speaking to the Newcastle Express, she offered some insight as to how this role plays out in life. “Having a positive male figure in a child’s life not only influences who we are inside, but how we have relationships with people as we grow. The way a father treats his child will have an influence on what he or she looks for in other people. Friends, lovers and spouses will be chosen based on how the child perceived the meaning of a relationship with his or her father. The pattern a father sets in the relationships with his children will dictate how his children relate with other people,” explained Bester.
She went on to explain how young boys are especially dependent on a positive father figure. “Unlike girls, who model their relationships with others based on their father’s character, boys model themselves after their father’s character. Boys tend to seek approval from their fathers from a young age. As human beings, we grow up by imitating the behaviour of those around us. That is how we learn to function in the world. If a father is caring and treats people with respect, the young boy will grow up much the same,” she said.
