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Motherhood and fatherhood are theological and biological-based precepts, not fickle cultural constructs.  In a special way, humanity owes its on-going existence to the gift of motherhood.  Only mothers know what it means to have conceived, carried, birthed, nursed and nurtured.  Mothers are the first and arguably the most significant influences on the next generation.  Babies need nourishment and breast-feeding optimizes a child’s intelligence and immune system.  Babies and children also need affection through cuddling, rocking, singing, bathing, stroking and being kept close to promote full character development during their formative years.  Low self-respect and profound poor self-confidence are unlikely in an attentive nurturing environment.  Mothers are central to making the house a home by managing home-making roles such as: laundress, cook, dishwasher, nurse, seamstress, dietician, baker, waitress, chambermaid, buyer-shopper, veterinarian, home economist, handyman, hostess, housekeeper, secretary, gardener, chauffeur, interior decorator, bookkeeper, ticket agent, psychiatrist, tutor, lover, intercessor, counselor, comforter, coach, teacher and religious instructor.  Fatherhood, no less noble a calling, is also key to making a successful family.  In God’s design good parenting is a prerequisite for church office.  An overseer “must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect.  If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?”  God declared He would smite the land with a curse if Elijah would not “turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers.”  Fathers are to be involved in parenting; be involved in home-making duties; and take time to be with their wives and children.  A father who has accepted the headship role and is recognized as the final authority in the family will not be inclined to make work his idol or career his first love.  He will be motivated to provide for his family through his work and will not need to use his employment to define his identity.  A disorganized home negatively impacts all family members and either weakens the father’s ability to perform at the workplace or causes him to take refuge there as an escape.  Absentee dads, whether absent physically, emotionally, spiritually or psychologically, cannot build relationships with sons and daughters.  Adolescent ills such as smoking, drinking, drugs, violence, illicit sex, rampant STDs and teen suicide are minimized when offspring experience available, committed, loving parents.