From late January, a student’s school sent home a request: students should bring a photo of their father. A pastel portrait followed, and in a typical school, a small medal was created for the father as a holiday keepsake, accompanied by poems. The shift toward recognizing fathers began to feel routine, turning February 23 into a regular part of the school calendar rather than a single celebration.
Years ago, when the child first entered kindergarten, the idea of a Father’s Day celebration in February seemed unlikely. Back then, events and crafts honoring fathers rarely appeared. Now, in many groups, the holiday has become almost a weekly feature, with fathers attending matinees and participating alongside their children, while some families still navigated the irony of the celebration in homes where a father figure was absent or distant.
Who brought gifts to those celebrations? Who sang at the festival? Would a child receive flowers from a stranger in uniform at a matinee? For a long period, the Father’s Day in schools and kindergartens was overlooked. The number of available father figures meant to appear in events varied greatly, and some families did not celebrate the day at all. The reality in city neighborhoods was different from rural villages where the absence of a father felt more pronounced. In the author’s hometown, many women raised children alongside a limited presence of fathers, a dynamic noted even in early school years.
Many of the narratives described healthy, responsible fathers who did not drink, who contributed to the home, and who avoided destructive behavior. In contrast, some families faced real difficulty with paternal figures, leaving children to rely primarily on mothers. The author’s own mother worked hard, securing housing for a government employee in a tight space, and the child’s family managed without a father, surviving on resilience rather than comfort.
That sense of envy among peers shaped early perceptions of fatherhood. Some children believed the absence of a father made their family uniquely “lucky,” while others imagined that a father would bring more trouble than protection. The author recalls a home where a father’s arrival sometimes signaled disruption rather than security, echoing a broader social tension about paternal presence.
With time, the idea that a father could be a steady, positive presence began to take hold. The day that once felt awkward slowly transformed into a celebration of involvement. Families started to view a father’s role as a meaningful part of daily life, not just a distant ideal. In many places, fathers began to attend matinees, accompany children to doctors, and participate in neighborhood activities. The shift was gradual, and in some rural areas it was especially pronounced as more fathers stepped up while balancing work and family life.
The changes extended beyond individual households. More men started accompanying their children to clinics, clubs, and community events. The image of the father as a constant, supportive figure slowly replaced the stereotype of the absent, drinking parent. Observers noted a measurable decline in alcohol consumption in some regions, and a corresponding rise in fathers being present at schools, sports events, and medical visits. The cultural landscape shifted toward a more inclusive model of parenting, with Father’s Day becoming a symbol of shared responsibility rather than a reminder of absence.
Despite the progress, data remains incomplete. There has been little in-depth research into how fathers participate in child upbringing, and statistics on single-parent families may not capture the full picture. Yet daily life offers a different perspective: classrooms and playgrounds increasingly reflect the involvement of fathers, mothers, and extended family members who share parenting duties. The word “dad” has faded as a taboo in many school dictionaries, and February 23 is recognized with appreciation for the contributions of fathers and father figures alike. Medals and acknowledgments are becoming common, signaling a societal shift toward recognizing paternal care and involvement as part of everyday life.
In the years that followed, the country witnessed a steady normalization of fatherhood in public spaces. The presence of dads at matinees, clinics, and community gatherings grew, illustrating a broader trend of men taking an active role in raising their children. It is a transformation born of quieter perseverance, not fanfare, and it continues to redefine family life for many families across cities and villages alike.