Honor Your Parents: An Ode to Honoring Fathers the Way We Do Mothers

In this post, I’m talking about how to honor your parents, with particular mention about honoring Father’s the way we do Mother’s too.With the rise of feminism and the #MeToo movement, mothers are getting more recognition for all of their hard work.

This post walks through how to honor parents and make sure that honoring women and their capabilities doesn’t come by demeaning men and fathers. Whether it’s Father’s Day, or just any day, use these quotes, tips, and ideas to honor fathers and their role in the family.

I want you to take a minute to watch this commercial:

Now, I want you to take a minute to watch this commercial where it’s honoring fathers:

How does each commercial make you feel?

Now, I want you to think of each commercial, but imagine that instead of the the father and mother being portrayed, it’s the father and your mother.

Nowhow does each commercial make you feel?

I’m willing to bet that you laughed at the wrap commercial when it was about the father; but if it were portraying the mother, it would anger you.

But the second commercial, I bet, prompted feelings of tenderness and warmth, no matter which gender it was portraying.

In fact, there’s already been a similar video about mothers.

I want to ask you a question, and I want you to consider it carefully:

When did it become okay for us to mock fatherhood, but revere motherhood?  When did it become okay to portray men as clueless and inept, when it would cause riots if motherhood were shown in the same manner?

I’ve been noticing a trend over the years.  As women become more confident and more sure of themselves, it also seems to come at the expense of the value of men and fatherhood.

Why?  And what damage can this cause?

I want to share some experiences with you about this. And I want you to think about yourself in both positions: in the wife’s place and in the husband’s place.

How to honor your parents to create a strong bond

The aspect of how to honor your parents is a concept that is deeply rooted in almost all cultures and religions around the world. It is an essential part of creating a strong family bond, and it is often said that the way we honor our parents is the way our children will honor us. While honoring mothers has been a long-standing tradition, fathers have often been overlooked, and their roles and contributions have been underestimated. It’s time to give fathers the same level of recognition we give to mothers.

When we think of honoring parents, we tend to focus on motherhood. Mother’s Day is celebrated worldwide, and mothers are showered with gifts, cards, and heartfelt messages of appreciation. Fathers, on the other hand, are often relegated to the background. Father’s Day is celebrated too, but it is not as widely recognized as mother’s womb, and the level of enthusiasm and celebration is often less than that of Mother’s Day.

One reason for this is the societal norm that has put mothers at the forefront of parenting, while fathers are seen as secondary. The stereotypical image of a father as the breadwinner, the disciplinarian, and the provider has created a divide between the roles of mothers and fathers. However, in today’s world, fathers have taken on much more than just financial responsibilities. They are more involved in their children’s lives, from changing diapers to attending school events, and they deserve to be recognized for it.

Honoring fathers is not just about celebrating Father’s Day; it’s about acknowledging their contributions to the family and society. Fathers are responsible for instilling values, discipline, and providing guidance to their children. They often make sacrifices to ensure that their children have the best opportunities in life. Fathers also provide emotional support, comfort, and security to their families.

Honoring fathers is not only about recognizing their contributions, but it is also about respecting them. It’s about treating them with the same level of love, care, and attention that we give to our mothers. Fathers should not be undermined, disrespected, or made fun of in any way. We need to stop using jokes and memes that belittle and demean fathers. These negative portrayals create a stereotype that fathers are incompetent, which is not true.


Teaching Him a Lesson

When we were first married, my husband inadvertently said something that hurt my feelings on our way to my parents’ house for dinner.  When I showed up with red eyes, my father asked me if I was okay.

Before I continue this story, I should mention that my parents probably like my husband even more than they like me!

I tried to brush it off by saying something flippant, “Oh, I just haven’t trained Phillip how to talk to his wife the right way yet.”

Note: I almost never say things like this.  I strongly feel that it is extremely disrespectful to joke about how men aren’t great at “watching kids” or cleaning up laundry, even if it is “just a joke.”  But that’s for another day!

My father didn’t laugh; instead he stopped me, looked me straight in the eye, and proceeded to explain a concept and perspective about marriage that I had never considered before.  It’s become the most important piece of marriage advice I’d ever heard.

You see, it’s not my place to “train” my husband about anything.

That’s something the world is going to do.  At this time, my husband was just finishing his undergrad and was entering the “adult” world of full-time employment and taking care of a family.  He was going to be going out into new situations, and the world was going to teach him some very hard, difficult lessons.

The world, you see, is not very forgiving of imperfections and weaknesses.  My husband was going to be surrounded every day with people watching what he did, measuring how he performed.  And the world was going to force my husband to face up to the areas where he “wasn’t enough.”

Instead, my job is to make our home a haven, a refuge.  My husband and our future adult children would be going out into the world and would be slapped in the face at times with their inadequacies.  Our home needed to be a safe place for him to return and work out those lessons.

How would you feel to hear your partner tell others he hadn’t “trained his wife yet” on how to be a good housewife?

A Women’s Retreat

Several years ago, a group of women from church decided to have a retreat for the weekend.  They left their children with the fathers, and they went up into a cabin in the woods to pray and have a much-needed break.

While there, they began joking about the state their homes were going to be in when they returned.  They laughed as they imagined the disaster in the kitchen, the mismatched clothing on the children, and the general chaos.

After several minutes of this, one woman said, “I would gladly take all the mess in the world if it meant my children could spend this time with their heavenly father.”

Her husband had recently passed away from cancer, leaving her alone with three young children.  Her words were sobering and profound.  Keeping an eternal perspective is one of  four important lessons Phillip and I have learned by dealing with my Crohn’s.

Always speaking kindly about your spouse is one of 10 vital tips I share with newlyweds.

How would you want your partner to speak about you when out with the guys?

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Honoring Fathers

Find a Third Partner

We often hear that God is the third partner in our marriage, but most of us leave that as saying prayers as a couple, scripture study, bible together, and more.  However, we tend to stop there.  We don’t truly involve Him as a third partner, which is what we should do when our spouse hurts our feelings.

Let me give an example of what this could look like.  Let’s say you decide to surprise your husband with his favorite dinner, which usually takes a lot of work to make.  He comes home late without telling you and in a bad mood. Dinner is already cold; he eats it without a thank you, then heads off to the living room and watches TV.

Now at this point your feelings are hurt.  In your mind, you have two choices.  You try to take the “higher road” and not mention it, in an attempt to be understanding.  Or you could go talk to him about it, but that might lead to a fight, or might just make him feel guilty.

Note: we are approaching this as if you are in a healthy, functional relationship; not an abusive or one-sided marriage.

Either of your options leaves one of you with hurt feelings.  However, there is another option: talk to the third partner in your marriage.  Go to God’s word in prayer and say,

“I wanted to do something nice for my husband because I love him, and I thought I would feel love and gratitude in return.  Since my husband isn’t able to provide that right now because of his rough day, could I please feel it from You?  Can I feel Your love and gratitude for doing something nice for my husband, who is also Your child?”

If you are struggling in your faith, then is there someone that you both trust who could be that person and your sounding board when you are in a similar situation?  The point is that you don’t alleviate your own hurt at the expense of the other’s feelings.

Would you want your spouse to hurt your feelings so that he wouldn’t have to feel bad about something?

Honoring Fathers

Imagine he were your son

Shortly after I was married, my Crohn’s disease got out of control.  I was admitted to the hospital 13 times in our first nine months of marriage, and 35+ times in our current 6 ½ years of marriage.

Most of that time, we lived far away from family.

I know that during that time, my mother prayed that my mother’s teaching and husband was taking care of me, since she often wasn’t there to do it.

I want you to take a minute and imagine your son, all grown up.

He has a job, and he is starting his family.  He isn’t perfect, and sometimes he messes up.

How do you want his wife to treat him?  Do you want her frustrated that he can’t remember to take out the garbage or put his socks away?

Think of the last words you said to your husband in frustration or anger.  Now put those word’s into your son’s wife’s mouth, directed at the man you gave birth to.

Your home, your relationship, should be a safe haven for your spouse.  It’s one of five keys to living happily ever after together.

How does it make you feel, imagining your son’s wife speaking to honor god you to him the way you speak to honor your father and husband?

Honoring Fathers

Tips for how to honor fathers the way we honor mothers

It’s time to honor fathers the way we honor mothers. Here are some tips on how honor father and how to do so:

  1. Spend quality time with your father: Take some time out of your busy schedule to spend with your father. Go for a walk, watch a movie, or have a meal together. The time you spend together will show him how much you value and appreciate him.
  2. Listen to your father: Fathers have a wealth of knowledge and experience that they can share with their children. Take the time to listen to what your father has to say. Ask him questions about his life, his work, and his interests. You may be surprised by what you learn.
  3. Give your father a meaningful gift: A thoughtful gift can show your father how much you care. It doesn’t have to be expensive; it just has to be meaningful. You can give him something that reminds him of a special memory, or something that he has always wanted.
  4. Show your father respect: Treat your father with the same level of respect that you would treat your mother. Don’t make fun of him, belittle him, or disrespect him in any way. Show him that you value and appreciate him.
  5. Express your gratitude: Take the time to thank your father for everything he has done for you. Write him a letter or a card expressing your gratitude. Tell him how much you love him and how much he means to you. You can also use these free candy bar printable gift tags for your husband to show how much you love him.

Reflection on Honoring Fathers

At the beginning, I asked you to think about how you would feel if those commercials were about mothers instead of fathers.

They’re funny until we switch genders, and then they’re pretty offensive.

They’re funny until we imagine them directed at our own household and our sons, whom we love and we know are trying to be good husbands and fathers.  They are doing their best.

Fatherhood is a noble responsibiity, as evidenced by these quotes and videos.

Now, I’d like to ask you to give you a challenge.

The next time you talk to or about your partner, ask yourself, “Would I want my partner saying this to/about me?”

If you’re frustrated that he comes home from work and “messes everything up,” consider how you would want him to treat you if you had to take over his job for a day so he could have a day off.

Would he have to explain things more than one time?

Would you want him to joke about how badly you were messing things up?  Or would you want him to be gracious, loving, and patient with your errors?

Be the kind of wife you would want your son to have.

Be the kind of wife a husband feels safe around.

And be the kind of wife a husband can trust with his heart and his insecurities.

Be kind.


Other Ideas for Honoring Fathers

3 Tips for a Successful Sacrament Meeting at Home + Free Printable
Father reading Bible to his little children in bed

If you are going to be out honoring one’s father or a father this Father’s Day, here are some ideas:

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Honoring Fathers

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