Our kids have suffered because their dads have been made fun of, received little (if any) encouragement or help with parenting. Look at movies, TV shows and popular culture over the past 20 years. Dads have been the brunt of jokes; mercilessly made fun of by moms and kids in sitcoms and often portrayed as dim-witted pushovers with nothing significant to give their family. This breaks my heart because I have listened to thousands of kids over 30 years who desperately want and need their dads involved in their lives. From a child’s perspective, the negative messages dads receive about their significance to them are 100% untrue.

We have serious problems on our hands. The level of depression in kids is rising at a frightening pace. The Surgeon General has publicly stated that social media is dangerous for kids. Young teens are confused about who they are: a girl or a boy, gay or straight, smart of dumb, likeable or unlikable and whether or not there is a point to living. They don’t know where (or if) they fit anywhere and are desperately searching for a solid place to land. We have a huge part of the answer: Dads. But…