[Diana in Wisconsin]

Funny, informative Op/Ed piece from a conservative site. Enjoy. :)

[little jeremiah]

ping to self for later pingout.

[GrandEagle]

Yes folks, God knew EXACTLY what he was doing when he gave us both an Mother AND a Father.
Regards,
GE

[ItsOurTimeNow]

Wonderful article! Spot on - spot freakin on!

[pa mom]

My sons attend a boys' school and last night the school presented a program by a speaker who emphasized the importance of fathers in kids' (and grown men's) lives.

They then followed up with a father/son interactive period, in which they discussed their childhood, experiences as teens, etc.

Hope this interest in fathers spreads!

[RockinRight]

I like women with spunk-an occasional swear word doesn't bother me, and I dig a woman that can handle a gun. But she's still Mom if she has kids, not Dad.

[Capriole]

Well, this is all true--there's no disputing it--but it makes sad reading for me. I try to be both mother and father to my little son by taking him fishing and camping, teaching him about guns, encouraging him to take risks instead of being like most timid, worried mothers, putting him on horseback, etc. But the truth is I can't be a father. No woman can. Boys learn how to be men from men, and one of the great problems in our society is that too many boys don't have a father in the house to teach them what manhood means.

[Pappy Smear]

A buddy of mine just got divorced-she dumped him-she is a psycho corporate wench. But anyway, now that they are living apart, all the mechanical issues of house ownership are popping up, and she still has the gall to call him up for help.

He offered this one when she called to ask why the lawn mower wouldn't start. He told her she could test the motor, by pulling off the little wire on the spark plug, hold on the end of the wire, and then simultaneously give a tug on the pull cord/handle. Tee hee.

[Pillows]

Moms Make Lousy Dads

What do dads do?

[razoroccam]

Till my wife learns to NOT read instructions, get lost and still drive fast while appearing supremely confident, indulge unashamedly in bodily functions, dismantle and put together almost any mechanical instrument, pick up our 8 year old and throw him squealing with delight into the air, she ain't matching me.

[PigRigger]

Goes a long way in explaining the problems we see in the black community today. Over 60% of black children are raised by single mothers; from birth they are thrown a curve that will affect them for life.

I cringe when I meet a single parent with their children. Even in the most loving of households the children have already fallen behind.

This is where the the left doesn't get it (that is why I consider them naive and ignorant). If one really cared about children they would start by supporting the family unit headed by a farther and a mother. It would go a very long way in resolving a lot of problems we see in society today.

However, the left continues to preach equality for families that are not equal in their ability to nurture and provide for a child's needs. Again, they are on the wrong side of history. Unfortunately, being wrong continues the perpetual cycle of poverty and antisocial behavior.

[Hatteras]

"Some of those things, such as throwing a football forty yards in a perfect spiral or crushing a beer can on their forehead, aren’t all that essential."

Maybe not, but peeing while standing up at a urinal, fishing, learning how to cook a perfect steak on the grill, building stuff with power tools and driving 16-penny nails, building a campfire and getting to your destination without wasting time reading a steenkin' map are certainly essential and only something dads can teach a son.

I was going to add burping the alphabet, but I do know some women that could teach that as well...

[SuziQ]

However, when it comes to rearing male children, we’d all probably be better off if the ladies simply dropped the kids off in the woods for wolves to raise.

Blunt, but true!

[banker]

I like the article, but as a dad, blessed with both a son & a daughter, I'll make the argument that little girls need dads just as badly. If for no other reason than to know how she can be expected to be treated by the future men in her life.

[SoDak]

Fathers are absolutely essential to boys. I spent a summer living at my Grandmother's house when I was 12, because my family was building a new house, and they didn't want I and my sister living in the mess. This was the only time in my life that I got into trouble. Nothing major, of course, but began to get involved with vandalism and the like. When the house was finished, and I came back home, I spent all of the next 6 months right by my dad every minute I was at home. I can't explain exactly why, but dads are so very important to a boy that age.

[CATravelAgent]

I'm a single Dad with a son, who is now 15. Been raising pretty much by myself since he was 4, a lot of help from his Grandma. He seems to be turning out good, ethical and street smart; academics are terrible but improving now. Conversely, I worry a lot about him not having a mother's love and influence in his life.

[FreedomSurge]

It is a horrible spiral.

Children without fathers ---> Fathers who don't know how to be husbands and fathers ---> Children without fathers.

[grellis]

Inasmuch as more and more women are eager to hand off their offspring to a nanny, a granny or a nursery school, you have to wonder why most of them even bother giving birth.

I have never heard a response to this statement that comes close to passing the sniff test.

[Our man in washington]

It's not just the sons. Girls need their fathers too.

I have a staunch environmentalist feminist friend from college that adopted a baby girl from South America. The four year-old is now completely undisciplined, as the mother considers herself above "harsh" methods of discipline. Every other book in the house deals with environmentalism, as the mother is trying to turn the daughter into a clone of herself. It's already clear the daughter's personality is very different, so there are probably going to be some huge fights in a decade or so.

If a father was around, there's a good chance he would say "Dear, our daughter doesn't have to like everything you like." The two-parent system forces compromises and is thus a check on an individual's narcisism.

Let's face it: single moms can be very narcissistic when raising daughters. They often view the daughter as an extension of themselves.

Flame away.

[Restorer]

Doesn't mention the most obvious reason a father is important.

When a boy reaches about 15 it is highly educational for him to be knocked clear across the room for lipping off to his mom.

I know it was for me.

[UlmoLordOfWaters]

I'd say the same is true for daughters. They need their fathers in their lives. If a father isn't possible, a grandfather or uncle who can make a strong commitment to filling the gap as much as possible.

I'd like to strongly recommend the book Always Daddy's Girl by H. Norman Wright: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0830727620 (opens a new window) to men who are fathers of daughters. It's a powerful book.