Fathers need support to meet expectations

Kenyans yesterday joined the world in honouring fathers and father figures in their lives. Indeed, it’s no mean task being a father and a parent. The responsibilities that come with the lifelong commitment are immense—a father ought to be a provider and protector.

Every family man is tasked with ensuring the unit has what it takes to thrive from the primary needs that include shelter, food, healthcare and clothing to the secondary needs of his family.  

The father is a source of inspiration and is expected to serve as a role model. Children look up to their dads for motivation. In a child’s world, no one compares to the father; he is everything the child needs and admire even when they cannot deliver.

Children always rest their hopes on fathers at times when they are most vulnerable. A father is expected to deliver even when the means do not exist.

And because of the high expectations men have had to do the impossible to keep their families happy, healthy and hopeful. It is the father who is supposed to turn grief into joy; despair into belief; strife into peace and the roles go on and on. 

All this is made possible by the support fathers get in the family, the love and affection they receive at home. The encouragement they get in the face of adversity is what keeps them going. The pat on the back for being a father makes men push themselves to the limit to deliver for the household. 

There are times that it seems the end of the road. It is okay to sit and regroup. There is no one formula to being a great father but the effort and sacrifices men make is what makes them great in their families. 

And because of this it is the duty of children, mothers and society at large to appreciate fathers to bring out the best in them. Without support the pillar in the family might crumble. Without love and appreciation, the father might not deliver to their best potential.

Technology and the high cost of living has put a strain on parenting with many fathers falling short of their expectations. There are also ugly cases in which fathers have abandoned their obligations. Those ones deserve condemnation. But it is time to celebrate those responsible pillars of the family unit.