A new look at a traditional family relationship

The first American Father's Day celebration was held on July 5, 1908, in Fairmont, West Virginia, only about 20 miles from the location of the first Mother’s Day celebration in Grafton. The event was the emotionally charged response to a mine explosion that had occurred one year earlier, killing more than 300 men, most of whom were fathers. Hundreds of grieving widows were left behind, along with more than 1,000 fatherless children.

Mrs. Grace Clayton, a woman who had lost two children and understood family loss well, was moved to establish an annual holiday to honor and remember all fathers for their great contributions to their families. But while this Father’s Day observance is mentioned in at least one historical document, it has all but been forgotten, and it is a separate event that occurred one year later that is most often referred to as the “beginning of Father’s Day.”

At a Mother’s Day celebration almost a year later, a young woman named Sonora Louise Smart was thinking about the sacrifices her father had made while shouldering the responsibility for his six children after his wife had died eleven years earlier.

In celebration of Father's Day, the filmmakers behind the "Evolution of Dad" documentary project filmed close to 150 people around New York City, talking about their dads. The interviews are touching, funny and sometimes heartbreaking. We hope you enjoy the videos and share them with those you care about this Father's Day.

Happy Father's Day to all the father's celebrating their special day this coming Sunday.

Don't forget to call your father

Warm Regards

- Eric

“One time my kids wanted to surprise me with a good breakfast in bed on Father's Day. They put a cot in the kitchen.”

While fatherhood is a serious business, you cannot deny the fun and craziness involved in it for both the dad and the kids. A father holds a magnificent place on this planet.

A father ocean catfish is a true example of a devoted father. He carries the eggs of his young is his mouth until they are ready to be born, which may take up to several weeks. During that time, he cannot eat a thing!

Penguins are another good example; Father penguins keep on their feet in arctic temperatures for sixty days or more to protect his eggs. He hides them on top of his feet, hiding them with feathered flap. Like the catfish, he cannot eat for the duration of his guard of the eggs.

In celebration of Father's Day, the filmmakers behind the "Evolution of Dad" documentary project filmed close to 150 people around New York City, talking about their dads. The interviews are touching, funny and sometimes heartbreaking. We hope you enjoy the videos and share them with those you care about this Father's Day.

It may not be Father's Day today, but as a father it is great to hear the appreciation and love for fathers.

Call your father

Warm Regards

- Eric

In celebration of Father's Day, the filmmakers behind the "Evolution of Dad" documentary project filmed close to 150 people around New York City, talking about their dads. The interviews are touching, funny and sometimes heartbreaking. We hope you enjoy the videos and share them with those you care about this Father's Day.

It may not be Father's Day today, but as a father it is great to hear the appreciation and love for fathers.

Call your father

Warm Regards

- Eric

In celebration of Father's Day, the filmmakers behind the "Evolution of Dad" documentary project filmed close to 150 people around New York City, talking about their dads. The interviews are touching, funny and sometimes heartbreaking. We hope you enjoy the videos and share them with those you care about this Father's Day.

It may not be Father's Day today, but as a father it is great to hear the appreciation and love for fathers.

Call your father

Warm Regards

- Eric

In celebration of Father's Day, the filmmakers behind the "Evolution of Dad" documentary project filmed close to 150 people around New York City, talking about their dads. The interviews are touching, funny and sometimes heartbreaking. We hope you enjoy the videos and share them with those you care about this Father's Day.

It may not be Father's Day today, but as a father it is great to hear the appreciation and love for fathers.

Call your father

Warm Regards

- Eric

It may be no surprise for you guys to know that fathers survive on an average 42 minutes' less sleep a night than other men.

Here are some 'father figures' released on Father's Day in Australia and New Zealand:

* In 2008, a new baby was a Father Day's present for 143 men.

* The average age of fathers of new babies is 33 years, but one in 100 babies has a father aged 50 years or over.

* Today's newborn babies have fathers who are, on average, four years older than their own fathers were when they were born.

* Over a lifetime, fathers have on average seven fewer Father's Days, than mothers have Mother's Days. This is because men generally start parenting later in life and women have a longer life span.

* The first Father's Day is thought to have originated in Babylon over 4000 years ago.

* The modern Father's Day celebration had its origins in the US at the turn of the 20th century.

Thank you Statistics New Zealand

-Stefan

DIYFather wishes all dads in Australia and New Zealand a happy Father's Day 2009. This year the three directors of DIYFather Scott, Eric and Stefan have made it their mission to help a group of dads in difficult circumstances on Father's Day. Today 10 fathers at Ronald McDonald House in Wellington received special dad packs with gifts and treats for the whole family.

On Father's Day it's easy to remember that dads are heroes in many different forms – there are the Super Hero Dads, the Sports Hero Dads, and the DIY Hero Dads to name a few. A less known type of Dad is the Unsung Hero Dad. All of the superhuman powers and skills combined wouldn't cut it in the environment that these Dads face on a daily basis. The environment of Unsung Hero Dads is a special care facility and this group of outstanding Dads who will be spending their Father’s Day providing comfort to their children deserve a special mention today.

On the eve of Father's Day weekend, President Obama gives remarks at a White House Town Hall on the topic of fatherhood. June 19, 2009 (public domain)

He made some unusually clear and direct statement about effects of fathers being absent: