According to the 2018 U.S. Census Bureau, 19.5 million children (more than 1 in 4) live without a father in the home. These children are 47% more likely to grow up in poverty. Sadly, in addition to financial hardships, fatherless children suffer socially, emotionally and academically. Conversely, psych research demonstrates the myriad benefits of a consistent and close father/child relationship—boys evidence fewer behavior problems and girls are less likely to engage in risky sexual behavior. Clearly, dads matter! To further explore the importance of fathers—both in the lives of their children and for society at large—I invited Emily Hibard, writer, director, and producer of The Honor Project documentary, to the program. In our conversation, we cover:

- The inspiration for a documentary about good guys being great dads!
- What Emily has noted when working with women in the sex industry as it pertains to their relationships with their fathers.
- The reality that honoring fathers does NOT take away from mothers.
- Men and masculinity (spoiler alert: Many are scared to talk about it!)
- The different ways fathers show love.
- How a man’s definition of masculinity and strength changes as he becomes a husband and father.
- The reservations many men feel when stepping into fatherhood—especially if their fathers weren't around when they were young.
- The importance of forgiveness—forgiving our father for any “father wound” we may have experienced.

Fathers and fatherhood impact us all throughout our lifetimes. Join Emily and I as we discuss the complexities of fatherhood and honor the good guys doing a great job of it! (For part 1 of the Dads Matter series, please check out episode 24, “Dads Matter: The Father Effect with John Finch.”)

Citations:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5007216/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-long-reach-childhood/201106/the-importance-fathers

Dads Matter! (Part 2): Emily Hibard, producer of The Honor Project Documentary Ep. 84