This article was originally written in 8/18/2010 on my other blog http://www.fatherof4.com.

Ever wonder what it means to be a father? Having a child with a woman doesn’t mean a man is done with his part. It’s just the starting point of the journey called fatherhood. Being a father is to be involved in a child’s life even if the father is not married to the mother or a divorce happens. Remember a child needs their father as much as their mother.

A father represents a strong figure in a child’s life. Being a strong figure will keep a child safe and secure from the rest of the world. This is one of many responsibilities that a father has to do for their child. A safe environment will lead a child to a happy life. Other responsibilities include is to teach their child respect for others and show them how to respect the opposite gender when they are old enough. A child will also learn discipline as well as money behaviors from both parents.

A saying that has been passed through many generations is that Boys want to be like their fathers and girls grow up wanting to marry a guy similar to their fathers. Boys tend to treat their fathers as heroes and they will learn to raise their own kids in the same way. Girls will learn how to be treated by guys from the father figure in their lives.

How much a child will learn from their fathers depends on how much time they spend with them as well as if their fathers are a nice person or a mean person to them. Being a father is an adventure and can be the best part of a man’s life as well as the child’s life.