Winding Down: Parenting

As the semester comes to a close, it seems a tad odd that we would wait this long to talk about parenting in a class about family relationships.  However, if one takes the time to look at our previous material, then it actually makes a lot of sense.  We've spent the majority of the semester talking about relationships and things that would prepare people to be more effective parents and have healthier relationships with their loved ones, so now we can talk about the actual act of parenting.

I'll confess that this week hasn't been as memorable for me as previous weeks, but I think a large part of that is because I just finished a class on parenting last semester and the material we went over in that class is fresh in my mind.  What has stood out to me is the article "We Believe in the Ministering of Angels" by Larry Barkdull.  In that article it talks about how the angels that assist us in our lives are people who used to live on the Earth and are people that are related to us.  When you take the time to think about it, it seems like an obvious concept, but it's one of those things that gets taken for granted.

To close this post, I'll leave this quote from David O. McKay: "No other success can compensate for failure in the home."

11th Week: Fathers

This week was a lot less emotional than the previous week, but like all weeks, it was fantastic.  We spent most of our time talking about fathers and the importance that they have on the family, with part of our discussion involving writing a paper on fatherhood and identifying five key aspects of fatherhood.  While I won't be posting my paper here, I will be talking a little bit about why I think we need fathers.

We can see that the world is crying out for fathers.  If you listen to popular music or follow some modern celebrities, you'll notice a trend of father absence.  When a father is gone, it creates a hole or a void in the child's soul that can't completely be filled.  That father is there to provide, protect, and teach the child.  From the father the child learns how to properly take care of the people that matter most in their life, especially the child's mother.  Children also learn concepts such as sacrifice and working hard from the father.

I believe that a large amount of the societal ills that we encounter are results of neglectful or absent fathers.  While a father in the home won't instantly cure all the problems, it is a good place to start.  In order to be a true father, a man must treat his wife with respect and reverence.  He must treat his children and family as his top priority.  He must not do things to harm them or scare them or negatively affect them.

Those are just some tidbits of why I believe fathers to be important and vital to society.