Life has changed drastically in just a couple of decades. What used to be a simple, slower-paced world, where parents’ biggest concern was whether their child made it home before dark or finished their homework, has now become something far more complicated and deeply unsettling.

Today, we are living in an age of unlimited access to things that are taking place around the world through our handheld gadgets and, therefore, invisible dangers keep hovering over both mothers and fathers; while the dimensions of such fears are different for each parent.

For fathers, the pressure is always twofold. They’re away most of the day and by the time they return home, they’re already drained. Evenings slip by quietly, with dinner, a bit of rest and the day ends. What’s left is usually silence, and deep down, a father knows he’s missing out on a big part of his children’s lives. That’s why there’s always this quiet battle in his head — to protect, to guide, to understand, without holding on too tight and without letting go completely.

You, kids of today, are the generation that is already fighting dozens of battles in your minds. Every day. And most of the time, it feels like no one gets it. Not fully. Not even your parents. But let me tell you this: behind that silence of a father, behind the tired eyes and the short replies, a man is trying to figure out how to reach you without breaking you. Trying to protect you without suffocating you. Trying to love you, even if he doesn’t always know how to show it.

A father’s new reality

Today’s fatherhood isn’t just about asking how your day was, and all the whereabouts of your friends. It is more about being “emotionally available”, “digitally aware” and “extremely observant”. Today’s father is no longer just the “provider”, he’s expected to be the protector, the tech expert, the therapist, the emotional anchor and the constant guide — all while managing his own work, stress and responsibilities, which were always there for him. But........

© Dawn Young Magazine