Psychiatrists have long harped upon the pitfalls women can experience if their father is not active and present in their lives. Girls and boys need their fathers in order to develop properly. The value of a present, active father is often underrated in our society.
However, if you subscribe to some of the liberal thinking taught in Marquette University, you might disagree.
Many fathers are unknowingly practicing “benevolent sexism,” without even knowing it. This means that by treating their daughters with great care and affection it gives them the idea that they cannot support themselves financially.
Even though the majority of the girls in the study who had a loving relationship with their fathers had higher self-esteem, the practice of treating them well, “encouraged traditional gender roles.”
Gasp! What horrors!
Having been highly influenced by my Dad, a retired chemical engineer, and seeing his teachings reflected in my own daughter, I can honestly say that I think more logically than most. He taught both of us analytical thinking and a boatload of common sense.
I attended his classes of, “if you open it, shut it and turn the light off when you leave the room,” repeatedly. These are lessons that I find myself repeating to my own daughter, much to her displeasure.
I can say without reservation that my Dad was always my biggest fan and supporter. No matter what, no matter who, he has encouraged me to follow my dreams and stretch myself to new limits.
He is the one who gave me my work ethic. He worked every day that he was scheduled to do so. He did not call in sick, except the one week when he twisted his ankle so badly that he could not walk.
He is the voice in my head when I am tempted to call out sick.
When I was in school and played sick, he would look me dead in the eye and ask, “are you absolutely sure you just can’t make it?” I find that question rolls around in my head repeatedly when I am not feeling one hundred percent well. Ultimately, I decide that I can make it and go in to work anyway.
I believe women have rights. I want equal pay for equal work.
That being said, there are roles that each sex is suited to do better than the other. Not to say that each CANNOT do both equally, but some things are easier than others.
I would say too that being treated well is a universal want we all have, and that is normal too.
The love and care a girl receives from her father, and the love and care a boy receives from his mother and vice versa are important.
If both sexes do not see and receive love and affection within the family unit, how are they to build their own adult relationships?
Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/subtleromance/2851723977/
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