The Many Roles of a Father (2024)

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Father’s Day is the perfect opportunity to honour every dedicated family man. A good father is a pillar of strength, support and guidance.

This Father’s Day, we ask Singaporeans about the role their fathers’ play in their lives. What about you? What is a father to you?

The Family Man

He puts in the effort to balance their careers (at times simultaneously with their spouse) to be a loving, involved father. He shows his love by making sure that he has his family’s needs met. Unbeknownst to many, he struggles with guilt when his career advances at the expense of his spouse and children.

“Fathers need to be patient to make sure everyone is raised right and happy. My Father is not only the breadwinner of my family. He also strives to keep me alive and happy!”
Brightman, 15, Student

“My dad works hard to bring home the bacon. I know he battles with choosing to invest time in his career or his family. His ability to persevere and provide a comfortable home while being a loving father is why I choose to be a better person.”
Cindia, 24, Software Test Analyst

The Guardian

Fathers are there to make sure that values and morals are instilled into a child so that they grow up a respectful individual that are also respected by others. Fathers teach their children the ability to face adversity with courage, and to never compromise their beliefs to please others. Fathers are the protectors and the strength behind a confident, independent child who knows how to protect himself or herself.

“A father is someone you can rely on, someone who is your role model, someone who is strong, determined, obligated to do the best for his family. A father is like sand in a dessert. Without sand, the dessert will never exist.”
Dominick, 22, Student


“I’m quite lucky, I had a great dad. It’s about 14 years since he passed away, and I miss him dearly, for who he was, and how he influenced me and our family, and how he shaped us to be better people. He really helped me put my personal foundations in place. I think that is the role of a father. Especially today with change happening so quickly, and communication being impacted by technology, people need a solid foundation to start from. A good set of strong beliefs, a toolkit of personal values, and a mission to strive are needed to constantly grow irrespective of the obstacles that cross your path. I think that is what fathers can do for their families. Irrespective of time and place, these personal foundations will be important for fathers to share with their loved ones. P.S Love you dad and miss you every day…”
Derek, Consultant

“A father has four responsibilities -- one, to influence and impart values; two, to confer a healthy identity; three, to provide security, especially emotional security; four, to affirm potential. I believe that when I discharge these responsibilities effectively, my children will grow up anchored with a moral compass and not easily swayed by undesirable influences. They will be confident of themselves - their self-worth will not depend on the haves/have nots, their positions in the society and what others think of them. They will not need to prove their worth nor to gain approval from others.”
Yoon Pin, Assistant Professor and Father of Four

“I nag not out of subjugation, but out of love for my next generation. Because son, I see a hole up ahead in this road we call life. I’ve been there before and falling isn’t nice. So listen to what I’m preaching because I’m not telling you twice. I nag because I love you.”
Richie, 23 (On what he would say to his future son)

The Gentleman

While two parents are needed, fathers are often seen as the authority figurehead and leader of the family that can have the most influence on the outcome of a child. Many have described fathers as the person who establishes a woman’s worth as he is the first man in his daughter’s life.

When a father treats female figures with love and respect, he shapes his daughter’s opinions of men in a positive way and reinforces her self-worth by demonstrating how a respectable man should behave towards a lady. Similarly, a father’s respect towards women will teach their boys how to treat women appropriately.

“My father showers me with unconditional love. From his kindness and loving relationship with my mother, he had shown me how a lady should be properly treated – with dignity, love, and kindness.”
Emma, 26, Media Executive

“A father is a king and his daughter is his princess no matter how old she is. He still dotes on me and pampers me with gifts and heartfelt conversations like he did back in the day.”
Miss Lim, 24, Receptionist

“Fathers are the first male role model for their children. Daddy’s little girls will understand how a female should be respected by the way he treats her mother. Daddy’s little boys will learn to behave like a gentleman by seeing the way his father treats female figures.”
Bryan, 15, Student

“The role of a father is a special one. Your father is the man that sets the standards for all the other men that will enter your life. He will be that role model that will be able to instill important values in you that will lead you through life as a respected person.”
Divya, 32,Teacher

The Lighthouse

“A father is like a lighthouse standing tall above the seas. When the storms of life come crashing in, the light from your father you’ll see” – Dana Roberts Clark.

Instead of running to his child’s rescue, some fathers prefer to take the guiding parenting route by shining his light, reminiscent of a lighthouse. He never conceals the fact that life is imperfect and lets his child make mistakes. He shows him or her that it is okay to fall or fail in life as long as they get back up. He might put up a brave front, but just like a lighthouse, rain or shine, low tide or high tide, he will always be there to catch his child, teach him or her a valuable lesson, and then lead the way home.

“My father is a quiet, observant man. He is the best confidant one can ask for. I can always turn to him for wisdom.”
Cindy, 23, Fashion Designer

“My dad is my compass. He is the jack of all trades in the family. He seems to be able to fix all things at home. I always turn to him for advice as he always has a different hindsight on decisions to be made. I love the way he is, tough on the outside but soft enough to show his care and love for me, my siblings and to my hubby whom he treats like his own. Love my dad!”
Adrienne, 35, mother of one

“My strong pillar of support. He is a bit of an introvert so it seems like he is the parent who watches me grow up “silently”. However, I know that he will be able to catch me when I fall.”
Miss Soh, 23, Branch Executive

“The role of a father is to be that person you know who will always look out for you and be a pillar of support, even through your brightest and darkest times.”
Nisha, 29, Service Quality Specialist

“I hope to be the one who always reminds her of the little things in life that truly matter, smiles, respect, popcorn…”
Justin Loi, 33, Project Manager and Father of One

The Many Roles of a Father (2024)

FAQs

What are the roles of fathers? ›

Answer. Through almost every studied culture, fathers have assumed three primary roles: the protector, the provider, and the disciplinarian. Before we discuss each of these roles, it is important to note that in many two-parent families today, mothers are fulfilling these three roles as much as fathers.

What are the seven rules of a father? ›

Stephen Kendrick outlines seven roles that a father plays in the life of his family: provider, protector, leader, teacher, helper, encourager, and friend. When you think about your own father, which of these qualities did he do well?

What are the responsibilities of a father to his child? ›

While fathers have always been responsible for providing material needs and physical protection, more and more it's expected – and recognized as healthy -- that they provide emotional, social, and spiritual protection and support. These are sacred and moral obligations.

What is the role of a father according to the Bible? ›

“First Teacher” (Proverbs 22:6) It's our responsibility to “train up a child in the way he/she should go.” Not the school, not the government, but you (Father) and that means dad… Just like God became the First Father for Adam & Eve and instructed them to live holy giving them the due instructions.

What are 3 examples of a father's role? ›

Traditionally the father has been the provider, protector, and head of household. While the mother is the nurturer, caretaker, and moral compass. In recent years it has changed.

What makes a good father? ›

A Dad is supposed to be there for the heavy lift. He is the first to arrive and the last to go in crunch time. His support has no waver in it; there is no ambiguity about his feelings. He believes in the child, to the point that he will let go, and trust the child to make a good decision.

What is the 7 7 7 rule parenting? ›

Prophet Muhammad SAW said in a hadith, “Play with them for the first seven years (of their life); then teach them for the next seven years; then advise them for the next seven years (and after that).” The above hadith gives us a good guidance on how we can raise our children at three stages.

What is the authority of a father? ›

The authority of fathers and mothers over their children proceeds from their obligation to take care of them while in the immature state of childhood. Both parents are compelled to educate their children, to cultivate their mind and to govern their actions until they reach the age of reason.

What is father law? ›

Britannica Dictionary definition of FATHER–IN–LAW. [count] : the father of your husband or wife.

Why father is important in a family? ›

Fathers play multiple roles in the family—nurturing parent, protector, disciplinarian, breadwinner, emotional partner, and playmate. Fathers affect their children's development and adjustment based on their success in all of these roles.

What does being a father mean? ›

Being a father means taking on an immense responsibility.

It means committing to raising and nurturing a child to the BEST of our abilities and embodying a fatherly role that holds steady, endures, and exemplifies a committed pillar of love and support through all of life's ups and downs.

What is the main responsibility of a parent? ›

to protect your child from harm. to provide your child with food, clothing and a place to live. to financially support your child. to provide safety, supervision and control.

What does God expect from fathers? ›

God loves us personally, and fathers need to love their children uniquely, too. God wants us to be good stewards (not owners) of the children he's given us, raising them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. The only way to do that is to be attentive to them.

What does God say about fathers? ›

Ephesians 6:4: "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." Proverbs 1:8: "Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and forsake not your mother's teaching."

What does God say about being a father? ›

A faithful father is not lazy or heedless but conscientiously takes responsibility for his children's spiritual welfare (Job 1:4–5). He boldly claims his family for the Lord (Josh. 24:14–15). He leads his family through life with unmistakable spiritual commitment (Deut.

What are 5 roles of a parent? ›

Your duties and rights as a parent
  • to protect your child from harm.
  • to provide your child with food, clothing and a place to live.
  • to financially support your child.
  • to provide safety, supervision and control.
  • to provide medical care.
  • to provide an education.
Sep 22, 2020

What is the definition of a real father? ›

A father cares for his family. He shows his children the way they should go in this world. He protects and works hard for his family. He sets a good example and makes sure his family doesn't go without — even if he does.

What is the role of a father in a girl's life? ›

A father figure is a daughter's prime role model for relationships, so the way he treats his wife, partner or significant other demonstrates to his daughter how she should expect to be treated by future partners.

What are the duties of father vs mother? ›

Traditionally, the mother was the nurturer and caretaker. She was the parent who interacted with the children. The father, in contrast, was the financial provider, disciplinarian with the ultimate authority, and decision-maker whose word went unquestioned.

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