Yes.....Dads Feel The Pain Just Like Mom When A Child Is Absent

So much has been discussed about maternal instinct regarding the separation of a child from their mother. However, dads feel the same separation anxiety.  Many websites including mamapedia and netmums have published articles discussing separation anxiety from a child and their father.

Culturally, our society focuses on the loss for the mom. Very little acknowledgement is given to a dad regarding the loss of a child due to divorce. Even with a joint physical custody agreement. The days away from a child can impact both parents.

More importantly, according to a Pew research study, dads identify with their roles as fathers. The study of men and women find that parenting satisfaction is equally important. Both genders identify parenting as the most enjoyable aspect of their life. Thus, when a child is not around, the pain of missing them is profound. The next time you see someone have empathy for the mother because the dad has the kids, try to remember that the pain and suffering is difficult for both parents.

The Irony Of Father's Day

Father's day has an ironic twist for advocates of fatherhood rights to ponder. Similar to parenting rights, the holiday took a long time to embrace. It was 1914 when President Wilson signed Mother's Day as a national holiday. The idea that Fathers should have a similar day took a long time tfor our society to embrace. It would take 58 years until Father's Day became a national holiday. It was not signed into law until 1972.

What a great talking point. Advocates of fatherhood should share this fact as Father's Day approaches. We need to remind everyone that parental rights and social change go hand in hand. Similar to the Women's rights movement and the suffragettes that worked so hard to earn the right to vote, we as advocates of Fatherhood have a similar struggle. We have to convince our society to reexamine 50/50 rights, the right to a father to have FMLA,  and judicial precedent to punish anyone that sabotages any one's right to parent their child as national issues that impact fatherhood.

The goal is to have Father's Day be a symbol of the importance of a father in as child's life. With 1 in 3 children growing up in a fatherless home, the holiday provides nothing but confusion and frustrations for dads and children. One day, hopefully Father's Day will be the national celebration it was intended to be. Until then, it is a cause to fight for, and a day to celebrate for dads involved in a child's life.