What we do not know about dads

How well do we know the struggles of our dads? 

Oftentimes, they want to show that they are strong enough to handle everything. 

When they are alone, they might be feeling worried, pressured, and afraid of how to deal with their problems. 

Besides, their loads are heavy, and we grow up not knowing all of them. They are expected to be the provider and protector of their family, so they only show their strong side. 

Unlike women, husbands and fathers do not like to talk about their problems, especially in public. They tend to keep it to themselves or with their closest and most trusted friends. 

With this, men are more prone to depression, particularly fathers, who deal with a lot of things.

Things we do not know about dads

Knowing the struggles of fathers could help us understand them better instead of judging their toughness. We could also figure out some measures to encourage and empower them. 

Here are some things we should know about dads:

Juggling between work and family

Three in four fathers feel stress trying to balance work and family life. About two-fifths say they feel significant stress trying to achieve work-life balance. 

Also, nearly 80% of dads feel that they have to be “the rock” for their families after their child or children are born. 

Being the stronghold of the family could cause dads to feel stressed, anxious, and down. 

Some dads may think that they are not allowed to show how pressured they are to be the breadwinners of the family. 

Moreover, we may not know that dads also desire to spend more time with their kids than at work or in the office. 

However, they do not have a choice but to choose work for them to earn and provide for the needs of their home. 

Not babysitting but parenting

When a mother takes care of her children, it is called parenting. Still, oftentimes, when dads are in charge of their children, most people call it babysitting. 

Parenting is about taking care of kids and providing for their needs, while babysitting is about looking after the kids while their parents are away.

 If mothers ask for a break from motherhood, dads are not babysitting their kids but being their parents. 

Moreover, since women are more vocal about their struggles, some people think that they are the only ones sacrificing, but what about dads? 

Some children are more disciplined when their dads are looking after them. Dads are great teachers, especially when it comes to disciplining their children. It is easier for them to obey their fathers because of their authority.

Tiredness

Coming home from an eight-hour job, not including the traffic along the way, is tiring. 

If we include the time they have to spend helping their wives with household chores and kids, dads get tired too. 

Only a few men would say aloud that they were tired. Most men would not honestly admit that they also need a break from fatherhood. 

They wish to have some time for themselves too, like doing their old hobbies, such as playing sports, to take a rest. 

Heavy responsibility

Once a husband knows that his wife is pregnant, he starts to grow a responsibility inside his head while the baby grows inside his wife’s womb. 

As soon as the baby arrives, that responsibility continues to grow. 

Moreover, he is not just responsible for providing for the physical needs of the child but also ensuring his future. 

On top of this, he would need to set a good example for his child to follow as he grows up. 

Furthermore, dads have a significant impact on what kind of kids they will have in the future. 

Children observe their parents, particularly their father, in how they treat their mom and how he handles life itself. 

Thus, with all these responsibilities, dads need help, but they do not admit it. 

However, they would truly appreciate it if their wives were willing to help them carry all these loads. 

Feel isolated

Mothers have a wide range of resources and support groups, unlike dads. Even on social media, there are a lot of mom groups to support mothers’ suffering. 

Since there is a stereotype among men that admitting their weaknesses and opening up about their struggles is a kind of weakness, not everyone is open to talking about it. 

So, dads feel isolated and think that they should just keep their struggles to themselves. 

A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed that 26% of men worldwide show symptoms of depression between three and six months after their child is born. 

How to help dads

Dads need help, whether they admit it or not. They need support from their wives, children, church, and community. 

If we are able to empower dads, then they could be more inspired and enthusiastic about fulfilling their responsibilities for the welfare of their families. 

More importantly, dads represent our Heavenly Father, so it is crucial to help them be the kind of father that God designed them to be. 

Here are some ways to help dads in their struggles:

Respect them

“However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.” - Ephesians 5:33

We often think that lovemaking is the most important thing for men, but it is actually respect. When we learn to honor them, we are empowering them to do their job as leaders of the family.

Additionally, dads would know that they are loved if they were respected at home. Wives should show that they respect their husbands words and authority so their children will follow. 

Remember that our husbands are imperfect and most of the time annoying, but we still have to respect them.

Obey them

For children, one way to help our dads is to obey them. As good fathers, they set rules for us to be guided and protected from danger. 

Ephesians 6:1-3 says, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother —which is the first commandment with a promise—so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

Our dads would appreciate it when we followed them.

Appreciate them

Dads feel stronger when they are appreciated. When they know that we will see their efforts and their perseverance to give us a bright future, they are more motivated to continue the battle. 

We can show our appreciation even with simple gestures like making them coffee in the morning or buying them their favorite food. 

Pray for them

Nothing could ever beat the power of prayer. Fathers may not be outspoken about their struggles, but God, our Heavenly Father, knows everything about them. 

Ask God to strengthen our dads as they work daily. Pray that they may have God-given wisdom in every decision that they have to make. 

Our dads need our prayers to help them protect and provide for your family. 

Another, the enemy’s first target is the head of the family. He would try to do everything to destroy fathers, so he could easily destroy the entire family.

They need our prayers for them to be stronger in their faith in Jesus Christ so they can resist the schemes of satan.