Manhood must come before fatherhood, ministry official tells Father's Day discussion

Ahead of Father's Day, a senior Ministry of Health and Wellness official has urged Jamaican men to build strong personal foundations before taking on fatherhood, saying manhood and responsible parenting are central to stable families and communities.

Alan Carter, senior quality management officer within the ministry and co-chairman of the Men's Coalition Committee at the Jamaica Civil Service Association, said being a man in Jamaican society means getting things done, providing leadership, discipline and consistency, and bringing order to the home and wider society. He stressed that manhood is not automatic; men must "become" men by accepting that no one will save them and by taking full leadership of their own lives.

Carter said preparation starts by studying the men around you, especially in the family. He pointed to his own father as a hero whose example shaped his aim to be a protector and provider. Guidance from elders matters, he said, but young men must also be willing to receive instruction rather than resist it.

Among the main challenges facing men today, Carter cited weak connection with themselves and with God, which he said affects how men relate to others. He also warned that many men have become demotivated and are stepping back from active roles in society, a trend he called dangerous because society needs both men and women working in balance, not one gender stepping over the other.

While communities can support men, Carter said personal responsibility remains essential. He argued that men often pour outward into society without enough inward care and self-love.

On timing for fatherhood, he said there is a right season, usually when a man has accepted responsibility for his own life and can carry the weight of another person depending on him. He recalled the night he first saw his son as a defining moment of accountability.

Carter defined fatherhood as protector, provider and presider, or leader. Financial support is only one part of provision, he said; fathers must also shape the home environment. Daily presence in the household is vital, he added, because formative moments such as school bullying cannot be handled through occasional visits alone.

Key traits of effective fatherhood, he listed, include consistency, discipline, integrity, accountability, scheduling and time management. He also endorsed play with children, noting that discipline and fun must be balanced in modern parenting.