Question

What is the role of a father in the religious education and faith formation of a child?

Answer

A father’s job is as follows:

First, he should direct and supervise a child’s religious education. In other words, there is no need for a father to take on the role of a teacher. That is not to say a father should not teach anything at all. If religious education was all about imparting knowledge to a child, it may perhaps be a better idea for the father to be the educator. Religious education, however, is anything but a school subject. It is a crucial responsibility through which children learn the importance of a God-centered life. That is precisely why a child should be educated by a female parent, the mother who has innate qualities to constantly pay close attention to a child’s behavior and keep it in check. A father is someone who has been entrusted from God the authority to manage the household. Therefore, rather than wearing the teacher’s hat, a father should communicate to a child light and truth, provide direction, create a sacred atmosphere of prayer, and lead the household to grow in love for God and His Word.

Second, he must play a role in having the child learn from his mother. In other words, if children act out and give their mother a hard time, the father must take action. He must explain to a child, in a supervisor’s point of view, how much effort the mother puts into his religious upbringing, how precious her teachings are, how much she loves him, and take strict disciplinary action in order for the child to obey and honor his mother.

Third, he should build up and support his wife. It is never easy for her to teach and take responsibility for the moral and faith formation of a child. A proper faith-based education is not a mere activity one can take lightly as a pastime; it is hard work that requires sweat and tears. What a wife needs most is her husband’s warmth, consideration, close attention, and hearty encouragement. It is only with her husband’s love and encouragement that a wife can continue to educate her children and successfully align them with God’s Word. Therefore, the most important role of a father is to love, care for, and help his wife, who is the educator of their children.