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The Reverend Anthony Harewood, Chaplain of the Anglican Men’s Association.

Fathers told: Quality time valuable!

Fatherhood goes beyond providing material things, an Anglican Cleric
has cautioned.

The Reverend Anthony Harewood said that fathers must understand that
to love, protect and provide for their children should not be
associated with spoiling them by giving them everything that they say
they want.

“For the wants of people as a whole, furthermore children, can be
easily dictated by the many advertisements of this materialistic
world,” he said.

His advice came while delivering The Church of St. Jude Father’s Day
Service, themed “Fatherhood – A Lifelong Responsibility”, which was
part of the third Sunday After Pentecost Diocesan Worship Broadcast
yesterday.

He elaborated, “In truth and in fact, as males we should see our
responsibility to love, protect and provide for our children as a
great responsibility, to teach them how to decipher between their
wants and their needs, as we seek to protect them from the evil vices
of the world and be appreciative with their needs and when their needs
are met in all circumstances.

“In fact, quality time spent with children listening, teaching and
sharing advice and even experiences, should be seen as being more
valuable than giving of material goods.”

Rev. Harewood, the Chaplain of the Anglican Men’s Association, further
emphasised that the training of young minds should be viewed as
serious.

He advised that as head of the household, the father should remain
cognisant of the fact that the words, actions and attitudes that are
part of the household will play a great role in the shaping of the
young mind, as it is introduced and exposed to life in the world.

“Therefore, the attitude that is brought to bear on the social,
educational and emotional settings within the household, cannot be
simply based on the old saying ‘do as I say, and not as I do’,” he
said, adding that rather every lesson should be accompanied by a
positive life example that will hopefully help to inculcate upon the
young mind the need for respect and for discipline to be ever present
within the home.

“Surely, such training with respect and discipline being seen as very
important will go a long way in the character building of children,
and should provide positive examples of moral, social and spiritual
conduct,” Rev. Harewood added.
(TL)
 

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