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How modern fathers are different from old-school fathers

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 How modern fathers are different from old-school fathers (Photo: iStock)

A few years ago, homesteads were more cheerful when fathers were absent, their usual time of arrival being between 6 and 8 pm.

Children in these households recall how the house would fall silent after their father's arrival, and some of them would be forced to run out of the living room and go to bed.

The television belonged to none other than the man of the house, and it was a punishable offence to wander around the living room in his spare time.

Fathers were respected or rather feared by their children, which created a rift between the two parties. Most children did not like the relationship they had with their fathers and vowed to be different when it was their turn to be parents.

The current generation of fathers is largely made up of those who went through this type of parenting and we can all agree that their parenting style is different.

One of the things modern fathers do is build a healthy and friendly relationship with their children. They spend quality time with their children. It is no longer unusual to see a father playing games with his children in his spare time.

Nowadays, fathers bring their children presents after work. So instead of the children running away from them to go to sleep, they run towards their dad with joy and anticipation of what he has brought home that day.

Girl fathers even go to the extent of buying their angels essentials such as lingerie, something the old school fathers considered an embarrassment or a mother's role.

The kitchen is no longer the exclusive domain of mothers, as fathers are now cooking as well. Surprisingly, a father's food tastes better and is more memorable.

When it comes to punishment, modern fathers are not so deadly. Sometimes they do not punish but give a gentle scolding to teach their children a lesson. We can say that they are slowly adopting soft parenting.

The old-school fathers used to give punishments that made the children compare their home to a military camp. For them, discipline was not achieved without a good beating or a 'the day I will never forget' kind of punishment.

These days, fathers take note of their children's progress in life. They attend school meetings and special occasions to keep an eye on their children's progress.

In the past, fathers did not know which child was on campus, in high school, or even which school they attended. Some people even joke that their fathers would mix up the names.

Modern dads ask for random photos of their children, just to know how they are doing. Some even keep track of their children's daily schedules and can guess where they might be based on their timetables.

 All in all, the modern father-child relationship has its advantages. But even if some still cling to the old ways, they are all celebrated in the same way.

 Happy Father's Day!

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