FATHERING – Like Father Like Son
By Alan on Feb 05 in Blog tagged Alan Osmond, ativities, caring and supportive, chores, creating bonds, daily, empathy, family home evening, farming, father work, father-child relationship, fathering, feelings, gardening, George V. Osmond, good times together, grandparents, hauling hay, hoeing sugar beets, irrigating, like father like son, memories increasing unity and love, milking a cow, mother, raising chickens, share love, siblings, study the gospel together, talk with one another, thoughts, work hard | Comments Off
FATHERING – Like Father Like Son
George V. Osmond and son, Alan Osmond
Fathering is not just a social role; it is the work fathers do every day. This work is different from a job or career, in that it stems from a moral obligation to meet children’s needs and actively build a caring and supportive father-child relationship..
To perform these critical duties, fathers can focus on seven specific categories of work:
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ethical work,
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stewardship work,
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development towrk,
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recreation work,
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spiritual work,
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relationship work,
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and mentoring work.
I had a good relationship with my Father. He asked me lead our music group as well as to learn to work hard doing chores like milking a cow twice a day, gardening, raising chickens, hauling hay, hoeing sugar beets, irrigating and maintaining a small farm. This I did with 7 other brothers and one sister. But, my father was always there by our side working right with us and we had good times together.
Relationship work consists of the father’s ability and responsibility to commune (to share love, thoughts, and feelings with their child) and to comfort (to express empathy and understanding with the child). 
The desired result of relational work is loving fathers and caring children. Relationship work involves not only maintaining loving relationship with the child but also facilitating the child’s relationships with other family and community members, especially the child’s mother, siblings, and grandparents.
A father’s work is important in creating bonds between themselves and their children. Much like two people rowing a canoe, fathers and their children must learn how to work together. At times, the father will have to paddle stronger or lighter to compensate for their child’s paddling capacity, adjusting to their child’s social, emotions, and physical abilities. Just as those traveling the water in a canoe must communicate with each other to accomplish their goal, fathers and children must talk with one another in order for their relationship to take them across the waters of life.
There are times along the waters of life when you will encounter rough waters, but as you work together you will pass them by. As you talk with your children and establish good relationships with them, together you will enjoy your voyage and the many places which it takes you.
One thing that we did as a family that helped build unity and communication was to have one night a week set aside, Monday night, as “family home evening.” Our Father would close the office down a little early, Mother would cook a nice family dinner, and we brothers would practice a song during the week to sing at family night. This was also a time for our family to study the gospel together and to do other activities that strengthen the family spiritually, creating family memories, and increasing unity and love.
I grew up, met the dream of my life, Suzanne Pinegar, married her and became a Father myself. I hope that I can be as good a my Father. ”Like father, like son.” Suzanne and I have eight sons and yes, we also have family nights together! Our sons ’strengthen our family’ by lifting weights. Without a choice, we get picked up to be their dumbbells! We go along with it because a family that plays together, stays together!
