On June 19 this year we make our fathers, and all the other men who have played the father figure in your lives – grandpa, stepfather, uncle, a mentor in the community or even an older brother – feel extra special. On Father’s Day, we make sure they know how much we love and care for them.

Where would we be without fathers?

Recent studies show that men who play an active role in their children’s lives stimulate all aspects of development: emotional, academic, behavioural and social, even when those men don’t live in the same home as their children.

From a child’s conception, a supportive father makes a difference in the lives of mothers, their children, and the world-at-large. In fact, research shows that women with supportive partners experience fewer health complications in pregnancy and have better attitudes about the inevitable physical changes to their bodies. Even labour and delivery may be shorter and easier when your partner is by your side.

While we accept that the first word a child usually utters is ‘mama’, almost every child looks to the father as his or her hero. He’s the person who asks you to smile when you fall down from your bicycle the first time and the one who asks you not to drive the bike beyond 60 km/hr when you grow older. Men lend a sense of self-control. They teach us self-reliance, self-confidence, discipline, independence and the ability to deal with frustrations, large and small. They help their daughters understand how to relate to men and the meaning of trust and intimacy in all relationships. They help their sons understand what it means to be a husband, a father and a man.

What’s really important?

The most important aspect of the day is that you are present and attentive. It does not necessarily take material presents to make a dad happy, it takes showing your love, and reassuring your dad that you’re proud of him and of all he’s done for you. For many fathers, the most rewarding part of being a father is feeling that your children love you, the knowledge that each child is on a path to a successful future no matter the age of the child, and seeing that the child is coping well with the problems that life inevitably throws at us all.