Fathers play a critical role in the development of their children. The latest research shows that fathers who are actively involved in raising their children often make a positive difference in their lives.

Unlike an active, engaging father, the passive dad lets others take the lead and make all the decisions. He prefers to sit back and let life happen. He brings home a paycheck but he’s ultimately responsible for much more. A father is responsible for providing emotional and physical security, affirmation of his wife and children and leadership for the family. He should care about every aspect of family life.

Children need fathers who love them on a consistent basis. Love means more than saying “I love you.” If you love your children, spend quality and quantity time with them. Children who feel their father’s love are more likely to develop a healthy self-esteem. Active fathers promote their children’s self-esteem by being fully involved in their lives. You can boost your child’s self-esteem by listening to and supporting them in times of joy, sadness, anger, fear and frustration.

By being actively involved in his children’s lives, a father promotes a trusting relationship and helps them feel physically and emotionally secure. The child won’t worry about being abandoned. Young children are also full of questions. This natural curiosity helps them learn about their environment. Active fathers are a valuable source of information for children who seek answers to life’s important questions.

Active fathers also teach their children proper behavior by setting and enforcing healthy limits. Children with actively involved fathers are less likely to engage in early sexual activity, thus reducing their chances for teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Children with actively involved fathers are less likely to drop out of school, commit suicide and less likely to commit juvenile crimes.

Think for a moment about the kind of dad you are. Are you the type who devotes time to play ball with his son or teach his daughter to ride a bike without training wheels, or the dad who sits on the couch to watch Sports Center, seemingly oblivious to his children’s daily activities? This Father’s Day, make a commitment to be a more active father. Your children will not only thank you, but will greatly benefit from your involvement in their lives!

____________________________________________________________________

Help Jessica Sanchez Become An International Icon

Perhaps there's no better way to unite Filipino communities around the globe than through music -- especially when coming from the vocal prowess of 16 years old, Filipino-Mexican American Jessica Sanchez.

This Chula Vista, California native captivated viewers week after week on American Idol Season 11 and just placed one spot shy of winning it all. Maybe the demographics was not right for Sanchez to capture the title, maybe the planets weren't in correct alignment, who knows. What AI has done though, is give the singing sensation a platform to become a household name and rising international star.  All this, in just a few months.

Ethnic votes alone could not have gotten Sanchez to the blazing limelight. Her rare talent received cascades of praises from seasoned AI judges, famed record producers,  and entertainment titans. AI judges Randy Jackson and Jennifer Lopez said Sanchez has one of the best voices they've heard. The last of the AI judge trio Steven Tyler called Sanchez's voice angelic and leaves listeners hanging on every note. Singers Jennifer Holiday, Jennifer Hudson, India Arie, Mary J Blige, Adam Lambert, Akon, and Richard Marx are among countless others blown away by the teen's vocal range, control, and maturity. But what's most telling that Sanchez could be the next big R&B, pop entertainer is the confidence legendary producers Jimmy Iovine and Tommy Mottola have expressed. Iovine said she could one day be at the Grammy's.

Mottola, former head of Sony Music Entertainment, and known for developing some of the greatest talents such as Carly Simon, Diana Ross, Gloria Estefan, Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, Bruce Springsteen, Ricky Martin, and even Michael Jackson, is rumored to be signing on Sanchez. Mottola's wife, Mexican singer-actress Thalia, tweeted immediately after the final of AI that Tommy will work on Sanchez's first album, to be put out by Casablanca Records, his new joint venture with Universal Music Group.

Mottola obviously was impressed by her talent, marketability and potential career longevity. Sanchez lit up the social media since AI, receiving the most YouTube hits for her performances on AI than any other contestant. (Some of the performances of her songs on AI actually got more hits on YouTube than the original singers' version.) Sanchez also has the largest Twitter following and has been on Yahoo's search engine at number one on several occasions. Not to mention, Sanchez has international appeal from the Philippines and Mexico, and cross-over power to penetrate Anglo and Asian markets around the world.

Filipinos must continue to fan the fire

But before Sanchez is anointed such premature greatness, this post-AI transition period is extremely critical and Sanchez fans must be well informed of the nature of today's music industry. Basically, artists have one shot. For the selective few AI contestants who actually managed to land record deals, their debut single was their last, due to soft sales. Three of the last five AI winners have already been dropped by their record labels.

The legions of Filipinos who voted 10, 20, 100, even 1,000 times for Sanchez throughout AI Season 11, ought to pay close attention to when her first single or album will be released, then buy it to ensure a solid footing for Sanchez in the entertainment industry. In the meantime, keep the fire of interest burning by supporting all social media and news about Sanchez to strengthen music producers' confidence that Sanchez should be signed to a record deal.

As a community, why is all this effort for Sanchez so important, some may ask. Greater visibility and pride for our community could be legitimate answers to this question. Trailblazing for future Filipino talent could be another reason, as it could be justified to say that Jasmine Trias, AI standout who placed third, helped to pave the way for Sanchez. But most importantly, we should come out in support of Sanchez because she deserves it. Her talent speaks, or more aptly, "sings", for itself. Let's help Sanchez become the first international, legendary icon.