To whom it may concern,

I am writing in response to your article regarding the declining role of the fathers.

Personally, I do not agree with the statement that was made, as the so called “good fathers” still
exist today.

First of all, the issue of what makes an ideal family, a stable household in which a child can
grow, has changed with time. We need to be aware that nowadays, the expenses of living are far
greater and harder to accommodate compared to what they were half a decade, a decade or even
centuries ago. Normally, a father might be more absent, busy with work, compared to the past –
and the same applies for the mothers also. Furthermore, I believe that, with the help of the
Internet and easily accessible information about emotional health and well being, today’s fathers
are more likely to be more mindful and gentle with their children.

In my opinion, this type of ideal father still exists. For the sake of protecting one’s identity, I will
refer to him as J for the entirety of the letter. J is the father of a 8 year old girl and a 15 year old
boy. Despite working hard to give his children a comfortable life, he cannot provide the “simple
luxuries” that the other kids and teens have, for example a specific brand of smartphones or
clothing. Despite all of that, his children don’t mind. Yes, they do still wish to have those to fit in
with their friend groups, but they are forever grateful for their father’s hard work. I’ve been told
by the son that he had never raised his voice at his children, and preferred to use logic and
explain the situation to the little kids from a young age, instead of using the classic line of
“because I said so”, common among generations of parents like him. One more important thing
that makes me believe that he is an ideal father is that he acknowledges when J is in the wrong
and apologizes to his children when needed, setting a positive example that even if you are
considered “superior” you can still make mistakes and owe up to them. This is something that
you rarely, if ever encounter in the so called “good old days”.

To summarize everything, the “ideal father” is certainly not something that is to be considered
extinct, as it is a rather subjective term. Everyone perceives a different image when given this
kind of statement, and we shouldn’t invalidate the fathers that are actively trying to better
themselves for the sake of their children.

Sincerely,

Roxana Maneca