ity of involvement they have with their own children (Strong, DeVault, Sayed, & Cohen, 2001, p.330).
Everyone's views differ on the roles that a father should take in their children's lives. Some people believe that a father should be more nurturing and emotionally involved with their children, rather than taking on the traditional role of being only a provider and protector for their children. Others feel that fathers should take on the role of only a provider and protector. Many of my friends fathers take on the traditional father role. My friends told me that they were closer to their mothers than to their fathers.
A good friend of mine told me that she wished her father were had been more nurturant towards her when she was younger. She believes that if he was, then they would have a much closer relationship than they do. Her father plays the traditional provider, and protector role. Her brothers are also much closer to her father than she is. Even though my friend is close to her mother, she feels that she is missing out on having a close relationship with her father. "Fathers tend to be more closely involved with their sons than their daughters" (Morgan, Lye, & Condran, 1988; Smith & Morgan, 1994; as cited in Strong, DeVault, Sayed, & Cohen, 2001 P.330).
Although it still exists today, the traditional protector and provider role has diminished somewhat. The roles of both fathers and .
mothers are changing. More women than ever have entered the work force and fathers are staying home and raising children. Stay at home dads were extremely rare in the past. Men were expected to be the "bread winners" of the family while women stayed home and raised the children. "The Families & Work Institute found that Generation X men--those age 18 to 32--were far less likely to endorse the traditional breadwinner ethic than those of comparable ages 20 years ago" (Hammonds & Palmer P.56). I think that it is good to see more fathers taking the new nurturing father role and to see women enter the workforce.
