THE HALLMARK OF A GOOD FATHER

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 14931, 19 March 1949, Page 5

THE HALLMARK OF A GOOD FATHER

FULL PART IN FAMILY'S DEVELOPMENT SAFEGUARDING CHILD'S WELLBEING "What is a good father? Briefly, he is a man who plays his full pare in the physical, mental and moral development of his family. He really studies the proper way to bring up his children. This is something that can't be acquired by reliance upon instinct," says a statement issued by the Department of Health. "A good father learns what provision there is to protect his children from disease: he learns something about child hygiene; and he realises that unless his wife is to exhaust herself by working 21 hours a day for seven days a week, he'll have to chip in and lend a helping hand. "He learns, too, what facilities there are locally for expectant and nursing mothers. He takes full advantage of all those services available to help his child from birth right through to the time he cr she leaves school. As a sensible man he realises that it is better by this means to prevent the development of disabilities and ailments in his children than to wait until tho foundation of their well-being is destroyed by preventable diseases and their general efficienty is undermined.

"The good father plays an essential part in safeguarding the physical and mental well-being of his children from the time they enter his home. Through toddler stage and schooldays, the partnership ox father and mother must be maintained for the good of the child. Nor does the importance of fathercrafr end when the children leave school, for during adolescence the children are in particular need of the understanding guidance of their parents. "Bringing up a child is not an easy job,' concludes the statement. ••But it can be triumphantly successful through the co-operation o[ parents who work in partnership for the good of their child."