Real dads aren’t woke.

That may seem like a controversial statement to some, but it’s true.

In today’s culture, woke means believing in the “you do you” mentality. It means doing what makes you happy even if that thing could harm you in the future. It means allowing children to explore their sexuality or changing their gender at will. It means discarding values and replacing them with momentary wants. And it means abandoning God for the false gods of material goods, money, or some other earthly object. All this leads to throwing morals and a Christ-centered life out the window.

Woke fathers allow this behavior. Real fathers do not.

Real fathers protect. Real fathers guide. Real fathers love. Real fathers set limits. Real fathers teach.

Real Fathers Are More Crucial Now Than Ever Before

The family is under attack in our society. We need only look at some headlines to see examples of this. Schoolteachers find it amusing to confuse small children about whether they are men or women. Young males are encouraged to “become” female, and females are encouraged to “become” male. Schools hide gender “transitions” from parents. Planned Parenthood infiltrates schools to push its sexual agenda. The list could go on and on, and sadly it does.

Hugh Brown, executive vice president of American Life League, recently wrote that fathers “need to be mentally tough, physically capable, and spiritually dangerous.”

This is more crucial today than ever before.

Without a Father, Children Are Lost

So as we approach Father’s Day, let us think about the importance of fatherhood and how detrimental absent fathers are to family structure.

According to an article in All Pro Dad, “The CDC says ‘85% of all children who show behavior disorders come from fatherless homes.’” It goes on to say that “the U.S. Census Bureau says 43 percent of U.S. children live without their father.”

With nearly half of U.S. children living without a father, it’s no wonder our society is in such dire shape. People are lost. Children are lost!

The article also explains that “71% of high school dropouts come from fatherless homes.” It states that “the reason for that is more psychological than intellectual. The feeling of abandonment leaves a child unable to trust. Lack of trust leads to recklessness.” And that leads to an increase in crime and in a lack of desire or ability to finish school.

A Focus on the Family article found that children who grow up fatherless are more likely to “have behavioral problems; drop out of school; face depression, anxiety, or other mental health issues; struggle financially; become sexually promiscuous and/or face teenage pregnancy; use drugs and alcohol; become aggressive or violent; [and] leave their own children when they become parents.”

Understanding those statistics is central to understanding why so many children these days are confused about their gender, seek acceptance in unhealthy or immoral ways, and will follow any trend that they think makes others like or accept them.

Fathers Have a Gift to Give

So how do we combat this? We teach our young sons the importance of family. Fathers especially become the examples that children need. They model how a man should treat his wife, and they model the type of man a woman should look for in a husband.

Fathers must truly believe that, aside from loving their mother, the greatest gift they can give to their children is time.

Fathers, take time to throw a ball around. Take time to talk and laugh. Tell silly jokes. Ask your kids about what is going on in school. Take them to Mass. Enroll them in CCE. Watch wholesome shows together. Read quality books aloud to them. Introduce them to the lives of saints. Allow them to see you reading and watching shows that don’t scandalize or make fun of our faith. Stand up for Church teaching. Explain why things like “sisters” making fun of Catholics is wrong. Teach your children to have courage to speak the truth.

Fathers, you must take action if we want to return our culture to one that respects life and that respects all people.

As Hugh Brown recently wrote, “The culture only comes back when MEN take it back. Never fear. Live on purpose, put your faith in Christ and lead your family.”

Taking the culture back requires courage and determination. These things only come about through prayer, practice, and dedication to the family.

So as Father’s Day draws near, let us look at our own families or the families close to us. Let us reflect on what we can do to make them holier, stronger, and healthier. And let us realize that it begins with the dads.

Susan Ciancio is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and has worked as a writer and editor for over 20 years; 14 of those years have been in the pro-life sector. Currently, she is the editor of American Life League’s Celebrate Life Magazine — the nation’s premier Catholic pro-life magazine. She is also the executive editor of ALL’s Culture of Life Studies Program — a pre-K-12 Catholic pro-life education organization.