A dad is the solid bedrock foundation of a family. Dads have been providers ever since the first family was set up. In ancient times they used to go out and hunt. Later they went out and worked in the fields or worked and laboured to put food on the table, a shelter over the heads and a safe home for the family to grow.

A dad is the economic pivot around which a family revolves and evolves. Today women go out to work and support their child if a father is absent but it was not always so easy nor is it easy today. There is much wisdom in following the beaten path where a dad is provider and mom is loving caretaker.

If a dad's role was limited to that of being a provider, he could do it long distance. However, his presence in the family, each day, is absolutely indispensable. Children get all the love from their mothers and are spoilt. They also need an authoritative figure they can respect and admire.

Dads represent authority. Like a lion, he only has to growl and the entire bunch of kids falls in line. Dads teach children about respecting authority.

Child Psychologist tell us that a dad's presence is absolutely necessary for the growth and development of a child's brain and his personality. Dads know the ways of the world and bring in a level of maturity to parenting. Their presence is comforting for children. When afraid or stressed out, children often turn to fathers for reassurance and support. They know intuitively that dads are strong and supportive. I have watched dads toss their kids high in the air and catch them. Kids enjoy it and do not cry out as they would if handled by any other person.

Dads instill discipline. A child will ignore his mother but not his father. Dads teach children about obedience and following certain rules in their formative years. This is necessary if children are to grow up and become responsible adults. It is common to see households where grown up children are wayward, undisciplined and irresponsible simply because they did not have a father or their father was neglectful. It is a dad's duty to inculcate these values into children. It is as much about pride in bring up children well as it is about the joy and happiness of having well behaved children you can be proud of.

Dads are not only about discipline and authority. They also guide and show you the ways of the world. Dads will take you out, show you how shopkeepers operate, who to be careful of, traffic sense, how to play, use things and a hundred other things. Of course, he displays his love differently.

Dad is a shortcut to learning so many things in life. When in doubt, ask Dad, he knows. He does.

Then of course there is mental and emotional stability that only fathers can give to children. A child's life is full of fears, hesitations and doubts. Having a strong father you can look up to, trust, depend on and leave things to can be a lot of help to children. Children also need dad's to give them guidance and direction in life.

Teenagers think they know a lot but they may not know their aptitudes and weaknesses as well as fathers do. As a friend and a dad, he is the one who has your interest at heart and will tell you in which direction you should go. Lucky are those children whose fathers set them up in life with nothing to worry about.

A family glows in the respect a father receives in society. They walk with confidence and walk tall when they have a father alongside. A father who is an achiever is inspirational and a role model. If the father is a doctor or an engineer, in most cases children want to be one too. Fathers can motivate and lead by example. A father's manners and behavior are almost always adopted by children. While they are growing up and even beyond when they have moved on in life, dad casts a long shadow.

We refer to founding fathers who set up empires and created dynasties and for the sons, it was a hard act to follow. Whatever they do, they are compared to their fathers but still, they can be proud and try to emulate their dads. Fathers are like oyster shells; they nurture you, take care of you and undergo difficulties so that you can finally emerge as a brilliant pearl.