Ministry of State Apparatus Utilization and Bureaucratic Reform is currently drafting a Government Regulation regarding paternity leave for male civil servants to accompany their spouses who give birth. The right to leave has become an aspiration for many parties, considering the vital role of fathers in child development. Dra. Ike Anggraika, M.Si., psychologist and teaching staff at the Life-span Development Laboratory, Faculty of Psychology (FPsi) Universitas Indonesia (UI) emphasized that the government needs to make policies that support families.
Ike said that creating policies that support families can help balance work and family life. “This includes support for paternity leave and flexibility in working hours. The government can also strengthen educational programs highlighting fathers’ important role in children. “This can include awareness campaigns, seminars, and educational programs about the importance of involvement in child education,” said Ike.
Ike further conveyed that policy recommendations could minimize the risk of children growing up in a fatherless environment, a term used to describe children growing up without a father. According to her, Indonesia is likely to be included in the list of countries with a high level of fatherlessness.
Fatherless children may have fathers, but some types of jobs require fathers to leave the house for a long time, including migrant workers, transportation/shipping sector workers, contract/project workers, and informal sector workers, such as construction workers, pedicab drivers, and others.
Ike said, “Fatherless has more to do with fathers who work far away from home. Therefore, the government needs to open more opportunities for stable work for fathers, including promoting training and skills development and better access to proper jobs.”
Children may be fatherless because their father dies or they are not physically or emotionally present in caring for children. Some biological fathers sometimes abandon or disown their children.
In fact, the presence of a father impacts child development. A father’s presence is important for children’s emotional development because it can provide stability, protection, and a sense of security.
As the backbone of the family, fathers provide financial support to create a safe and comfortable environment for children’s growth and development. The father’s involvement in household responsibilities and child care also helps ease the wife’s burden, provides strong mental and emotional support, and allows the wife to focus on her career or personal interests. In aspects of child development, the presence of a father can provide a different cognitive stimulus than a mother’s, including problem-solving, exploration, abstract thinking, understanding logic, and mathematical reasoning. Fathers also play a role in teaching self-confidence, emotional management, and social norms.
On the other hand, children who grow up in fatherless families will suffer several psychological impacts. “The loss or lack of a father figure as a source of emotional support and a strong role model can negatively affect children’s mental health. Children who grow up without a father have a higher risk of experiencing emotional instability and mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and behavioral disorders. Children may experience a feeling of lack of financial and psychological support due to the absence of their father in the family,” said Ike.
Losing a father can affect children’s cognitive development, so they have difficulties in problem-solving and academic skills. Lack of emotional support and role models from a father can also hinder the development of children’s social intelligence.
Children may experience low self-confidence, difficulty understanding social norms and interacting with others, and difficulty building healthy interpersonal relationships. Therefore, children who grow up in a fatherless environment are more vulnerable to being trapped in unhealthy relationships or “toxic relationships.”
The emotional, psychological, and social problems in children because of a bad relationship with their father are also known as daddy issues. As they grow up, women who have daddy issues experience difficulty in building healthy and stable intimate relationships with men and develop trust issues with men. Meanwhile, men who experience daddy issues will have trouble creating a male identity. The father’s absence as an example of being a responsible husband, good caregiver, and loyal partner makes it difficult for boys to understand the dynamics of a marriage relationship.
Thus, to minimize the impact of living without a father, adults in a child’s environment can do some interventions. Consistent emotional support and a supportive environment are vital in helping children overcome the effects of fatherlessness. A mother, aunt, uncle, grandparent, or grandmother has to guarantee that children feel heard, understood, and loved unconditionally.
Even though the figure of a father is not present, there are other positive role models. This could include other family members, mentors, teachers, or community leaders who can provide inspiration and support.
“Make sure that the children have strong relationships with other figures, such as mother, siblings or grandparents. This can help fill the void that a child may feel due to the absence of a father. Children must be encouraged to participate in social activities such as clubs or organizations and focus on their education and self-development. If children have difficulty coping with the impact of fatherlessness, professional psychological help may be a good option. “Experienced children therapists can help children process their emotions, develop necessary skills, and overcome psychological problems,” said Ike.
