I Had a Dad, Not a Parent”: Growing Up with an Emotionally Unavailable Father
A recent post on Reddit sparked a quiet but powerful conversation. One person shared that their father was always around. He lived in the same house and was there at meals. He was visible in daily life, yet never truly involved. As women began responding, a familiar pattern emerged. Many said the same thing: our fathers were physically here, but emotionally distant. There was no abuse, no dramatic neglect—just a steady absence of warmth, curiosity, support and emotional engagement. The concept of shared parenting is much needed. Instead, only mom struggled and ran around to comfort kids when needed.
What made the discussion especially striking was how many women realized this truth only in adulthood. They grew up believing this was normal. That fathers simply didn’t talk, didn’t ask, didn’t connect. It wasn’t until much later that they understood the experience. Their husband behaved in that way towards their children. Their children felt the pain, and they felt the pressure. They realized it was about growing up with an emotionally absent father. He was someone who fulfilled duties but never formed emotional bonds.
As Millennials, many of us were somewhat fortunate. Despite cultural limits, many of our fathers showed care in the ways they knew—through presence, protection, sacrifice, or quiet consistency. Emotional expressions are limited, but strong bonding still exist in subtle forms. There was a sense of connection in the family structure, even if feelings were not openly discussed.
But something has shifted.
For Gen Z and now Gen Alpha, the gap feels wider. Fathers are often more distracted, more digitally consumed, more emotionally unavailable than before. Physical presence no longer guarantees attention. Work stress, screens, unresolved trauma, and inherited emotional silence have created a generation of children who are more connected online. Yet, they are increasingly deprived of meaningful emotional presence at home—especially from fathers.
In Pakistan and across much of Asia, this reality is even more complex. Fatherhood has long been defined by provision, authority, and discipline, not emotional nurturing. Parenting is often understood as financial responsibility rather than relational connection. Many men were never taught what emotional availability looks like—so they can’t offer what they never received. This doesn’t make them uncaring, but it does leave children growing up without the emotional safety they quietly need.
This conversation is not about blaming fathers. It is about acknowledging a generational pattern that continues to shape how children grow, relate, and heal. Identifying the experience of an emotionally absent father is the first step. This leads to understanding what was missing. It helps in deciding how the next generation deserves better.
When a Father Exists Without Parenting
In many shared experiences on Reddit, the father figure was not cruel but available in a passive way. He wasn’t violent and wasn’t openly harmful, but he was simply disengaged.
Interactions felt mechanical rather than meaningful. Conversations stayed brief and practical. Visits carried an awkward silence instead of comfort. Questions were asked out of formality, not curiosity, and answers rarely led anywhere.
Many recall sitting across the table during meals while the television stayed on. Eye contact was limited. Interest in friendships, fears, or dreams felt absent. There was little effort to truly know the child.
The bond felt less like a parent–child relationship and more like strangers coexisting in the same space.
And as children, they didn’t question it. They assumed this was how families worked.
Emotional Unavailability: What It Looks Like in Real Life
Emotional distance is difficult to define because it rarely shows up through conflict. It reveals itself through silence, distraction, and repeated non-presence. It is shaped more by what never happens than by what goes wrong.
In today’s world, an emotionally absent father often looks like this:
A father lying on the sofa, phone in hand, endlessly scrolling. He is active on social media. He shares posts about social issues, values, or even parenting advice. Yet, he remains unavailable to his own children sitting in the same room. His attention is consumed by screens, while real connection quietly slips away.
School meetings happen without him. Parent–teacher discussions are handled entirely by the mother. Decisions about academics, health, routines, and emotional needs fall on one parent alone. The mental and emotional load heavily affects mothers. Meanwhile, children still instinctively seek their father for permission, approval, affection, or reassurance. They are only met with distraction or delay.
He often doesn’t know what his child’s favorite food is.
Is unaware of their clothing preferences.
He can’t name what excites them, what scares them, or what makes them feel proud.
Children are Missing out …..
Children miss the warmth of a father’s hug. Family meals are quiet, not because there is peace, but because everyone is emotionally disconnected. Outings, park visits, or shared adventures feel like distant wishes rather than normal parts of childhood. What should be moments of bonding become rare or non-existent.
This pattern is not limited to one culture—it is increasingly global. Research on parental digital distraction consistently shows that excessive screen use reduces emotional responsiveness. It weakens parent–child bonding. It also increases feelings of neglect in children. Studies across regions highlight how mobile phone absorption during family time lowers emotional availability, even when parents are physically there.
The issue is especially visible in Pakistan and many Asia-Pacific societies. In these regions, traditional expectations define fathers as providers rather than emotional caregivers. When digital disengagement is added to existing cultural distance, children experience a double loss—limited emotional presence merged with modern distraction.
International child development research highlights crucial elements for child growth. UNICEF often references findings which emphasize consistent emotional responsiveness. Children need this from caregivers to develop secure attachment. It is also essential for emotional regulation and confidence. When that responsiveness is missing—especially from fathers—children adapt by lowering expectations rather than expressing unmet needs.
Small Movements Missing
There are no bedtime conversations.
No follow-up after a difficult day at school.
No curiosity about who the child is becoming.
Because there is no shouting, no visible harm, and no dramatic absence, children do what they do best—they adjust quietly. They learn not to ask. They learn not to expect. And over time, they accept emotional distance as normal.
It often appears as:
- A father who asks about grades or work, but never about feelings
- Conversations that end quickly or feel one-sided
- Engagement limited to topics that matter only to him
- Withdrawal or discomfort when emotions surface
- Lack of reassurance, guidance, or warmth
The Invisible Lesson Children Learn
Children are natural interpreters of behavior. They watch closely, long before they have the words to explain what they feel.
When a father is repeatedly distracted, unavailable, or emotionally distant, children don’t analyze the situation from an adult perspective. He is lying on the couch with a phone in hand. He is missing school moments or remaining uninvolved in daily life. They don’t think about generational patterns, cultural conditioning, or emotional limitations.
They think in much simpler, more painful terms.
If he doesn’t look up, I must not matter enough.
He doesn’t ask, my feelings must not be important.
If he’s always busy, I should stop needing him.
Over time, many children quietly adjust their expectations. They start to keep emotions to themselves and reduce needs before they are dismissed. Also seen relying on independence far too early. They become agreeable, compliant, and emotionally low-maintenance—not because it feels right, but because it feels safer.
In households where the mother carries the emotional weight alone, children often sense the added pressure of asking for more. Thus, they refrain from making extra requests. So they stop asking altogether. What looks like maturity from the outside is often self-protection on the inside.
Slowly, a belief takes root: connection is conditional. Attention must be earned. Love requires effort, silence, or sacrifice.
This belief rarely stays in childhood. It travels into adulthood, shaping how individuals attach, communicate, and love. Many grow into adults who struggle to ask for support. They feel uncomfortable with emotional closeness. Also, will fear being “too much” in relationships. They are still responding to lessons learned long before they understood what was happening.
And all of it begins quietly. It starts in moments when a child learns that absence can exist. This occurs even when a parent is right there.
You Were There — So Why Did Your Children Feel Empty?
Many fathers genuinely believe they were there. They came home each day, fulfilled responsibilities, and remained part of the household routine. From their perspective, being there meant providing stability, structure, and financial support, which felt like the core definition of fatherhood.
Yet many children raised in these homes grew up carrying an unspoken emptiness that surfaced much later in life. This is not a question of intent or effort, but of awareness. Children do not experience presence through proximity alone. They experience it through attention. They also need emotional availability and a sense of being truly seen.
Conversations often stay limited to practical matters. Emotions are brushed aside or left unexplored. When curiosity about a child’s inner world is absent, children often feel disconnected despite physical closeness. Sitting in the same room does not automatically create bonding, and sharing space does not always translate into emotional safety.
This quiet emptiness does not emerge from a lack of provision. It grows in moments when reassurance is missing, when struggles go unacknowledged, and when achievements pass without emotional recognition. Over time, children start to sense that while their father is nearby, he is not fully reachable.
How most of the Fathers are Emotionally not connected.
Most fathers never intend this outcome. Many follow the only model they were shown—one shaped by restraint, duty, and emotional distance. Love is assumed rather than expressed, and care is demonstrated through responsibility rather than connection.
Children, nonetheless, need more than presence that is assumed. They need to feel noticed, valued, and emotionally held. When that need is unmet, they rarely protest or demand more. Instead, they adapt quietly, lowering expectations and learning to meet their emotional needs alone.
This understanding is not about assigning blame. It is about recognizing how children experience absence. This occurs even when a parent is physically there. Awareness can open space for reflection, repair, and change. This is especially important for the generations growing up now.
Why Some Fathers Are Emotionally Absent
This conversation is not about blaming fathers or reducing complex lives to simple judgments. It is about understanding patterns that repeat across families, cultures, and generations, often without being consciously chosen.
- Many emotionally distant fathers were once children who grew up without emotional guidance themselves. They learned early that feelings were either ignored. They were minimized or treated as weakness. So, they adapted by shutting down parts of themselves long before becoming parents. What looks like indifference later in life often began as a survival strategy much earlier.
- In many households, especially across Pakistan and wider Asia-Pacific societies, fatherhood has traditionally been defined by responsibility rather than relationship. Providing financially, maintaining authority, and ensuring discipline were seen as the core duties of a good father. Emotional nurturing was quietly assigned to mothers. As a result, many men entered parenthood without ever learning what emotional presence actually involves.
- Some fathers rely heavily on work, routines, or digital spaces to cope with stress, exhaustion, or unresolved inner conflict. Screens, schedules, and silence become safer than conversations that need vulnerability. Over time, emotional withdrawal feels normal, even practical, while connection begins to feel unfamiliar or uncomfortable.
And
There are also fathers who genuinely believe that love does not need expression because it should be understood. They assume their children know they care, even when care is never spoken, demonstrated emotionally, or reinforced through attention. Unfortunately, children can’t feel what is never shown.
The deeper tragedy is a painful cycle. What once helped these men endure their own childhoods becomes an absence. It is an absence their children must grow around. Without awareness, the cycle continues quietly. It passes from one generation to the next. This occurs under the label of tradition, strength, or discipline.
Understanding these roots does not excuse the impact. Still, it does explain why emotional absence is so widespread. Breaking the pattern requires intention rather than assumption. Awareness becomes the turning point, because once the pattern is visible, it can finally be questioned.
The Long-Term Impact on Adult Children
The effects of growing up with an emotionally absent father rarely end in childhood. They tend to surface gradually. This often happens during adulthood. At this stage, relationships become more complex. Emotional closeness is expected rather than optional.
Many adult children find it difficult to trust emotional intimacy, even when they deeply want connection. They may feel uneasy when others depend on them. They struggle to accept care. Emotional expectations that seem natural to others can overwhelm them. What appears like independence on the surface is often a learned response to unmet needs earlier in life.
Overthinking relationships becomes common. Simple interactions are analyzed repeatedly, and small changes in tone or attention can trigger self-doubt. There is often a lingering fear of being “too much.” This fear leads to emotional restraint. It can also result in people-pleasing or withdrawal at moments when closeness is required.
Some gravitate toward emotionally distant partners because the dynamic feels familiar, even if it is painful. Others push themselves to be overly self-reliant, believing that relying on anyone will eventually lead to disappointment. Expressing needs may feel uncomfortable, unsafe, or unnecessary, not because those needs don’t exist, but because they were once ignored.
For many, the most profound shift happens when the experience is finally named. Understanding that the struggle did not come from personal failure provides relief. It stems from growing up without emotional engagement. The pain does not disappear, but confusion gives way to clarity.
You can’t repair what you were never taught to recognize. Naming the impact allows adult children to separate who they are from what they lacked. This creates space for healthier patterns. It also helps build stronger boundaries and contributes to more intentional relationships moving ahead.
Effects on Children When Fathers Are Not Emotionally Available
The absence of emotional engagement from a father does not stay contained within the father–child relationship. It reshapes family dynamics, influences behavior, and quietly affects how children understand love, authority, and safety.
Changes in Children’s Behaviour and Emotional Expression
Children who grow up without consistent emotional availability from their fathers often adapt their behaviour in ways that are misunderstood. Some become overly quiet and compliant, while others show irritability, withdrawal, or attention-seeking behaviors that mask unmet emotional needs.
Emotional regulation can become challenging because feelings were never mirrored or guided. Without a father’s emotional response, children will struggle to name what they feel. They will have difficulty managing frustration. Seeking comfort appropriately can also be hard, especially during stress or conflict.
How Children Start to View Male Figures
When a father is physically available but emotionally distant, children develop early beliefs about men. They view authority figures based on absence rather than interaction. Some children start to see male figures as unavailable, unpredictable, or uninterested in emotional connection. This perception can later influence trust, communication, and expectations in relationships.
For boys, this may translate into confusion about emotional expression and masculinity. For girls, it can shape how safety, validation, and attention from men are perceived. This sometimes leads to uncertainty about what healthy male involvement looks like.
Increased Dependence on the Mother
In many households, especially within Pakistani and broader Asia-Pacific cultures, emotional caregiving naturally shifts almost entirely to the mother. This shift occurs when the father remains disengaged. Children turn to one parent for comfort, guidance, reassurance, and emotional processing, creating an uneven emotional load.
While mothers often step in instinctively, this imbalance places significant pressure on them to fulfill multiple emotional roles at once. Over time, children may rely heavily on their mother for validation. This dependency can leave little room for independence or balanced parental bonding.
Mother Burnout and Emotional Strain
When emotional responsibility rests on one parent alone, burnout becomes inevitable. Mothers experience exhaustion, resentment, or emotional depletion, especially when they feel unsupported or unseen in their efforts.
This strain can unintentionally affect parenting tone. It can also reduce patience and emotional availability. These changes create cycles of stress that children absorb. They notice it even when no one openly speaks about it. What begins as a gap in fatherly involvement can quietly evolve into tension, guilt, or emotional overload within the household.
Comparison With Peers and Social Confusion
As children grow older, they begin observing families around them. Seeing friends whose fathers attend school events, engage in play, or show warmth creates confusion and comparison. Children may wonder why their own experiences feel different, even when they cannot fully articulate the reason.
This comparison can trigger feelings of inadequacy, jealousy, or self-blame. This is especially true when children assume that emotional absence reflects something about their own worth. They may not realize it is a limitation within the parent.
Searching for Validation and Emotional Safety Elsewhere
It is important to approach this carefully, without assumption or blame. Some children, especially adolescents, seek emotional validation outside the family. They look for approval or care when it is consistently unavailable at home. This does not automatically mean unhealthy behavior, but it does increase emotional vulnerability.
Daughters, in particular, may become more sensitive to attention, approval, or reassurance from male figures. Sons may struggle with emotional connection or avoidance. These patterns are not inevitable, but they are more likely when emotional needs remain unmet over time.
Long-Term Impact on Family Dynamics
Over time, emotional absence reshapes how children relate not only to parents, but to themselves. It affects confidence, boundaries, and expectations within relationships. Family systems adjust to fill gaps, but the cost is often carried quietly by children and mothers alike.
Recognizing these patterns early matters, not to assign fault, but to prevent emotional strain from becoming normalized or passed on to the next generation
“As You Sow, So Shall You Reap”: The Long View of Emotional Absence
There is a difficult truth that often goes unspoken in families: emotional connection does not automatically come with age. The relationship built during childhood becomes the foundation for later life. It influences how children respond when parents grow older and more dependent.
Children will grow into adults who fulfill duties out of obligation when emotional presence is missing during formative years. They act out of duty rather than care. They show up physically, manage responsibilities, or give support when required, yet struggle to offer warmth, patience, or emotional availability. What was modeled becomes familiar, and familiarity often guides behavior.
This is not punishment. It is consequence. Emotional bonds are cultivated, not inherited.
Parents who stay distant during their children’s early lives later feel confused. This confusion arises when emotional closeness does not exist in adulthood. The gap often mirrors what was experienced earlier, creating a quiet cycle where presence is maintained but connection remains limited.
Impact on Life Choices and Relationships
Children raised without consistent emotional engagement often enter adulthood without a clear internal reference for healthy attachment. This can influence major life decisions, including how they choose partners and define love.
Daughters who grow up without emotional safety from a father may struggle to recognize secure care in relationships. Some become overly accommodating, seeking validation and reassurance, while others may tolerate emotional distance because it feels familiar. This does not mean they will always choose poorly. Yet, without emotional modeling, they are more vulnerable during critical decision-making phases.
Sons, on the other hand, often internalize what they observe. When emotional distance is normalized at home, it can quietly shape their future behavior. It affects how they show up as partners and fathers themselves. They may repeat the same patterns without intentional reflection. This happens not because they want to, but because it is the only version of fatherhood they know.
This is how cycles form. Not through intent, but through repetition.
Intergenerational Patterns and Emotional Inheritance
Family systems carry emotional habits forward unless they are consciously interrupted. Children do not only learn through instruction; they absorb behavior through observation. When emotional silence is modeled repeatedly, it becomes embedded as normal.
Over time, this can create generational continuity. Emotional absence passes from father to son. Emotional seeking passes from daughter to daughter. What feels like destiny is often learned behavior left unexamined.
Breaking this pattern requires awareness. It requires recognizing that providing materially is not the same as showing up emotionally. Children remember presence long after responsibilities are forgotten.
Why Awareness Matters Now
These outcomes are not guaranteed, but the risks increase when emotional engagement is consistently missing. The good news is that awareness changes trajectories. Fathers who recognize these patterns early still have the opportunity to reshape relationships. They can redefine their presence and model emotional safety for the next generation.
Children do not expect perfection. They need effort, consistency, and emotional availability—especially before it is too late to rebuild what was never formed.
What Research Says About Fathers’ Support for Children
Scientific research over several decades shows that a father’s involvement in a child’s life is not just a cultural expectation. It is a critical developmental factor. Evidence from psychology, education, and public health confirms this. Active paternal engagement contributes meaningfully to emotional well-being. It also aids in behavior regulation and supports long-term development from childhood into adulthood.
1. Positive Outcomes Linked to Father Involvement
According to an article published by All For Kids, research consistently finds that children whose fathers are actively engaged show improved emotional development. They also experience stronger social development. Research shows they develop better than peers whose fathers are less involved. Meta-analyses and longitudinal studies referenced in the article demonstrate that higher levels of father engagement improve social skills. They are also linked with greater confidence, stronger self-control, and lower rates of risky behavior during adolescence.
According to a comprehensive review indexed on PubMed, direct interaction between fathers and children is crucial. It plays a significant role in shaping positive social outcomes. It also influences behavioral and psychological outcomes. The review emphasizes that emotional involvement is a key predictor of healthier child development across multiple domains. Rather than physical presence alone, emotional involvement is what truly matters.
Research published by Darcy & Roy Press further supports these findings. It notes that hands-on father engagement is strongly linked to better emotional regulation. This engagement also enhances social competence. Researchers highlight that fathers contribute uniquely to socio-emotional development in ways that complement maternal caregiving rather than replace it.
2. Long-Term Health and Stress Regulation
According to a 30-year longitudinal study published in PubMed Central, sons who received higher levels of emotional engagement from their fathers showed better cortisol regulation. These sons showed improved cortisol regulation. They maintained healthier cortisol regulation into adulthood. Sons maintained this regulation into adulthood. This effect continued into adulthood. Cortisol is central to the stress response. Researchers found that early paternal involvement supports long-term emotional resilience. It also aids in biological stress management.
3. Cognitive and Academic Benefits
According to an academic review available through ResearchGate, children with involved fathers more often achieve stronger academic outcomes. They attend school more consistently and stay motivated within learning environments. The review highlights father engagement as a meaningful contributor to cognitive development and sustained academic effort.
Additional findings summarized by All For Kids show that children with actively engaged fathers earn higher grades. These children often achieve better academic results.
4. Emotional Intelligence and Relationship Skills
According to research published in the UNNES Journal, father involvement is strongly linked to the development of emotional intelligence. This includes empathy, emotional awareness, and the ability to regulate personal responses. Adolescents who see their fathers as emotionally involved have stronger interpersonal skills. They also develop healthier relationship patterns later in life.
Studies grounded in attachment theory and published through ResearchGate further show that father engagement supports secure father–child bonds. These bonds are critical for children’s ability to form trusting and stable social relationships.
5. Role in Early Development and Play
According to research available in PubMed Central, fathers have a unique role in early childhood development. They engage in interactive play and physical activities. Researchers note that this form of involvement encourages problem-solving. It enhances emotional resilience and promotes healthy risk-taking in safe environments. This complements maternal caregiving and supports holistic development.
6. Impact on Gender and Social Behavior
Evidence summarized by the Norfolk Safeguarding Children Partnership shows that father involvement influences children’s understanding of authority. It also affects their interpretation of gender roles and social norms. Research shows that supportive paternal engagement strengthens emotional security across genders. It also enhances social competence. Nonetheless, outcomes are not always measured separately for sons and daughters.
7. Fathers and Family Well-Being
According to research published by the Society for Research in Child Development, families experience higher overall well-being. This occurs when fathers share emotional and caregiving responsibilities. Studies report improved parental mental health, stronger co-parenting relationships, and a more stable family environment when fathers stay actively engaged.
Solutions: Practical Tips for Fathers Who Want to Be Emotionally There
Many fathers do not withdraw because they do not care. They withdraw because they were never shown how to stay emotionally connected. The good news is that emotional presence is not a personality trait. It is a skill that can be learned. It can be practiced and strengthened at any stage of life.
1. Redefine What “Being There” Actually Means
Emotional presence is not measured by time spent in the same room or financial provision alone. Children experience presence through attention, responsiveness, and interest. Sitting beside your child while scrolling on a phone does not create connection. Giving a few minutes of undivided attention can leave a lasting impact.
Start by asking yourself whether your children feel noticed, not just supervised.
2. Put the Phone Down During Child Time
Digital distraction is one of the most common barriers to emotional connection today. When screens consistently replace eye contact, children interpret it as disinterest, even when it is unintentional. Setting phone-free moments during meals, conversations, or short daily interactions signals that your child matters more than notifications.
Presence does not need long hours; it requires intentional focus.
3. Learn to Ask Emotional Questions
Many fathers feel comfortable asking about grades, routines, or tasks but hesitate when it comes to feelings. Emotional connection begins with simple questions. These questions should be asked consistently. Ask your child how they felt during the day. Also, inquire about what made them happy or uncomfortable.
You do not need to fix emotions; you only need to acknowledge them.
4. Accept That Discomfort Is Part of Growth
Emotional conversations feel awkward at first, especially for fathers who grew up in emotionally restrictive environments. Discomfort does not mean you are doing something wrong; it often means you are doing something new.
Staying current through discomfort teaches children that emotions are safe, not something to avoid.
5. Show Affection in Ways Your Child Understands
Children feel loved in different ways, including physical affection, words of encouragement, shared activities, or quiet companionship. Understanding what makes your child feel secure requires observation and effort, not perfection.
A warm hug, verbal appreciation, or shared laughter can repair distance over time.
6. Be Visible in Everyday Responsibilities
Emotional presence grows when fathers join in daily routines, like school involvement, healthcare decisions, or simple household moments. When children see their father engaged in their everyday world, it strengthens trust and emotional safety.
Parenting is not a supporting role; it is a shared responsibility.
7. Acknowledge Mistakes Without Defensiveness
If emotional absence has already created distance, acknowledging it openly can be powerful. Children do not expect flawless parents, but they deeply value honesty and accountability.
A simple acknowledgment that you are learning can start rebuilding trust.
8. Seek Support When Needed
Emotional growth does not have to be a solitary process. Counseling, parenting workshops, or even reflective reading can help fathers understand patterns they may be repeating unconsciously. Seeking help is not weakness; it is responsibility.
Breaking generational cycles often requires guidance beyond personal effort.
9. Understand That Change Benefits the Whole Family
When fathers become emotionally available, children feel more secure, mothers experience reduced emotional burden, and family dynamics become more balanced. Emotional presence strengthens not only parent–child bonds but also co-parenting relationships and long-term family well-being.
Connection, once built, multiplies its impact.
10. Start Small, But Stay Consistent
Emotional availability is built through repeated, small actions rather than dramatic gestures. Consistency matters more than intensity. Showing up emotionally today, and again tomorrow, teaches children that connection is reliable.
Presence practiced daily becomes trust over time.
A Gentle Reminder for Fathers
Children do not need perfect fathers; they need fathers who are willing to be there, curious, and emotionally open. The effort you make today shapes how your children will relate to you tomorrow. It quietly influences how they will show up in their own relationships as they grow.
Children need you most when they are small. Their feet still walk on tiptoes toward you. Their hands reach out without hesitation. They need your gentle touch. They need your steady presence. Be patient with the questions that seem silly or repetitive. They matter deeply to their growing minds. Those questions are not about answers alone; they are about feeling seen, heard, and valued.
They may survive without wealth or material comfort, but they can’t thrive without emotional safety. Their developing brains grow through connection, not provision alone. Time spent listening, caring, and responding with warmth shapes their confidence. It shapes their sense of belonging and their ability to trust the world around them.
Childhood passes quietly, and the need for your presence changes as children grow older. What you give during these early years becomes the foundation they carry onward. When you invest emotionally now, you are not only building memories. You are also shaping resilient hearts. They will remember how it felt to be loved.
The view of the CSPR Panel is that fathers are equally important as mothers. Including fathers should be a mantra of safeguarding practice. This is the cultural shift Norfolk is aiming for.” Norfolk Child Safeguarding Practice Review AK 2023
If you sow emotional connection today, you create bonds that last far beyond childhood. These bonds stay long after little hands no longer reach for yours.
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