My Epiphany: The Importance of Live-In Dads Giving More Than Just Financial Support

If you are a father who believes that it is good enough to provide for your children in the financial category, but not in the emotional one, then read this Relationships Matter Monday post for Men.

Most people would agree that fathers living with their children should provide for their financial needs, and most of the good ones do. However, it is equally important that these dads give their kids the emotional support which they need and crave. Is this some newfound knowledge I recently discovered in a peer-reviewed journal?

No, in fact, I was hard pressed to find any article that specifically discussed this subject, even there is much research about absentee fathers/divorced dads and the problems therein.

The topic of this blog did not come from anything on the internet, but from a personal, life changing experience, which I recently experienced and would not share here if I did not feel completely adamant that some live-in Father would benefit from this, so here goes: My Epiphany: The Importance of Live-In Dads Giving More Than Just Financial Support.   

The epiphany hit me like a loving hammer when I heard a good friend talk about his children with an affection and appreciation that any previously, love-deprived teen, now adult would envy.

What was all this emotion I was experiencing as tiny droplets of water began welling up in the corners of my eyes? I knew instantly; what had taken years to discover, and it was this. I was finally given the permission to mourn for the loss of the emotional support that I never received from my father.

Looking back, even though my financial needs were taken care of, I did not have that deep, emotional assurance that comes from knowing that your dad will always be there no matter what. Don’t get me wrong, he was a good man, who provided well for my family. We had a nice house, and all the basic necessities were covered.

However, my teenage years exposed a real emotional disconnect between us that only intensified as my behavior was considered to be one of pure defiance and rebellion.

Possibly, that is why I experienced certain negative relationships in my adult life because of this child/parent relationship never being repaired.

That remains to be seen, but after this life changing experience, I am convinced that fathers should know that the role they play in their kids’ lives is much more than monetary. Realize that your children; no matter how old or young, have a deep longing in their hearts to know that you love them unconditionally, and you believe in them.

Most importantly, they should be convinced in their own minds that their greatest champion in life is you. That way, your kids will trust that if they ever do get in trouble, they will not go elsewhere to find support, but into your loving arms.

Thank you for reading.

Your thoughts are very appreciated.

Author’s Bio

Karen Bontrager helps 16-24-year-old men, and more mature fellas stuck there due to complex trauma, make permanent shifts in their behavior from merely surviving in life to thriving through transparent coaching/counseling in one-on-one conversations and in group work, and through topic sensitive trauma-informed workshops in a program called, “From Crisis to Courage.” With this ontological approach, I partner with my clients to discover their essence, (aka highest and best self) by powerfully reflecting and listening to them. My clients quickly learn how to generate self-awareness and to voice their own relationship needs in a clear, constructive way by learning key coaching techniques/evidenced based counseling approaches/tools to work past their traumatic events and addictions to move forward. The clients are then equipped to develop healthy relationships with key relationships: parents/siblings/friends, and with intimate dating partners because they have learned how to proactively use their voice.

She does a weekly Relationships Matter Monday LI article for 16-24-year-old men and fellas stuck there due to trauma, is a frequent contributor here, and has a bi-monthly podcast called Crisis to Courage to give gentlemen an honorable platform for learning how to use their voices in a way which gets respected, instead of turning to the old standbys: anger, isolation, and numbing behavior, so they can be the men they were made, formed, and created to be.

Crisis to Courage Podcast for Men Links below:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1130105/listings

https://open.spotify.com/show/0hBtQMFu6eOoHAJBZVRgiQ

https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS8xMTMwMTA1LnJzcw==

https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/3017583

https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/crisis-to-courage-podcast-a-pl-1258925

https://www.deezer.com/us/show/1372142

https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/crisis-to-courage-podcast-a-platform-for-udrRN3OmV9o/