Happy Father’s Day to the fathers in the world! I think this would be the perfect opportunity to briefly discuss how fathers affect our health. The presence of a father in the home contributes significantly to the emotional, psychological, and physical health of all family members. Fathers play a unique and irreplaceable role in nurturing and guiding their children, providing stability, and fostering a healthy family environment. The role of a father far exceeds the financial support that he brings to a family dynamic. Encompassing both emotional and social dynamics that lend themselves to well-balanced children and family units.

One of the most significant ways fathers impact family health is through their role-modeling behaviors. Fathers who prioritize their own health and wellness—engaging in regular physical activity, maintaining a balanced diet, and avoiding harmful habits such as smoking or excessive drinking, set a powerful example for their children. This modeling of healthy behavior encourages children to adopt similar practices, leading to better overall health outcomes. Have you ever seen a child get down on the ground with a dad whos doing pushups? How a son decides they want a tool belt and a big toy truck like Daddy for Christmas? Have you noticed how children mimic daddy’s temperance? Additionally, fathers who are actively involved in their children’s lives tend to encourage participation in sports and outdoor activities, promoting physical fitness and reducing the risk of obesity and related health issues.

A father’s active engagement and positive reinforcement are linked to higher self-esteem, better academic performance, and lower incidences of behavioral problems in children. The emotional support and security provided by a father’s presence can also reduce stress and anxiety, creating a more balanced and supportive family environment. This nurturing role is crucial in helping children develop resilience and coping mechanisms that serve them well throughout their lives. We see that in today’s world, a lot of the issues that we have is a lack of coping skills. We tend to use negative coping mechanisms that allow us to cope emotionally but harm us physically. Healing and active fathers have the ability to plant a different deep-seated moral compass guide to wellness.

It is important to understand the health of the father himself is equally important and can have significant ramifications on the family. A father struggling with physical or mental health issues may find it challenging to provide the necessary support and engagement his family needs. For instance, chronic illness or depression can limit a father's ability to participate in family activities, potentially leading to feelings of isolation and neglect among family members. The stress and worry about a father’s health can also contribute to a tense and strained household atmosphere, affecting the overall well-being of everyone involved. Everything in life is about balance and if dealing with a situation where the father is absent or struggling himself the entire house will struggle. When the head of a house is missing or damaged it trickles down to the rest of the family in ways we could never imagine.

Understanding the crucial role that fathers have on our health it is important now as adults to take accountability for where we are today. Maybe you grew up learning how to order food, or cook fried chicken, or like in my household make baked beans and hot dogs from my father. Every single decision I witnessed good or bad influenced my health. At this time we have to make a decision whether we are going to change those habits or we are going to keep them, We must recognize that just because your parents did something somehow doesn’t mean it’s the way we need to do them. This is why generational traumas and sickness perpetuate. You don’t have broken or damaged genes, you don’t just have something that runs in the family. What you have are bad habits that you have picked up to be normal and now live in your life. Children growing up in a household where the father is an alcoholic are 4x more likely to have alcohol problems as well. This tells us that it’s not DNA that’s the issue, it’s what we witness that influences us. This means we have the power to make a change and be different! We are not doomed by our genes! we have the power to make changes!

Wellness Challenge of the Week

Think about a negative habit that you have today and see if you can trace it back to somewhere in your childhood. When you were in trouble did you bite your nails? Did your dad give you ice cream when you had an emotionally troublesome day in school and now you love ice cream when you're sad? Did you tend to hide in your closet when you didn’t feel safe and now you tend to isolate in your home alone when you feel emotionally unsafe or potential damage is coming emotionally? The goal of this challenge is not to specifically change this behavior but to acknowledge the power it has and see in the future how many others you can find. Eventually, you can begin to adjust the coping habits to more positive ones!