There’s no question that having a supportivefamilycan greatly impact how a child grows up. Whether it’s coming from parents, grandparents or aunts and uncles, we all deserve to be loved and cherished. But is it actually necessary to have a close relationship with all of your relatives?
One man recentlyreached outto Reddit seeking advice after his sister began pressuring him to embrace the “fun uncle” role. But as someone who’s never liked kids, he was less than thrilled about this idea. Below, you’ll find the full story, as well as some of the replies readers shared.
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It can be extremely exciting to watch your sibling become a parent
Image credits:Getty Images / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
But this man has absolutely no interest in being a father figure to his nephew
Image credits:Curated Lifestyle / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Image credits:Timur Weber / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits:NotTheFunUncle
Having strong role models is very beneficial for children
Not everyone is able to grow up with a fun aunt or uncle. If your parents were only children or were estranged from their siblings, you might not know what it was like to have your mom’s cooler, younger sister fly in once a year and shower you with gifts. This relationship certainly isn’t necessary for a happy, healthy childhood. But it can be a nice bonus!
According toDr. Axe, the quintessential qualities of a great uncle include being supportive, a great role model, lots of fun to hang out with, loving and caring. They should be involved in their niece’s and nephews’ lives and be a shoulder they can cry on during difficult times.
It’s extremely important for kids to have positive role models, as this can decrease a child’s negative behavior in school and help them grow into resilient adolescents and adults.
In fact,one studyfound that afterfathers, step-fathers and brothers, uncles were the next most prominent role models that young males reported looking up to. Anotherstudyalso revealed that having role models of the same gender can be especially important for young boys.
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But plenty of kids grow up just fine without father figures
However, just because having a supportive father orunclearound is beneficial doesn’t mean that a child cannot grow up without those relationships.ResearchersTimothy J. Biblarz and Judith Stacey were determined to find out how the gender of their parents impacts children. And they found that there was no difference in how kids of heterosexual parents and kids of lesbian parents were raised.
The Good Men Projectcalls out the “myth of the father figure” on their site, noting that he can’t stand alone. Yes, it’s beneficial for boys to have strong male role models in their lives. But that shouldn’t take away from the importance that mothers, aunts and grandmothers play as well.
Children need love and support, period. Whether that’s coming from two moms, two dads or a mother and a father shouldn’t make a difference. We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation below, pandas. Then, you can find another article discussing father figuresright here!
Many readers agreed that the author isn’t obligated to embrace the “fun uncle” role
However, some thought that the man was being unfair
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