I love Father’s Day. Maybe it’s because I was born on Father’s Day, but I prefer to think it’s because it’s a holiday that celebrates an often-overlooked segment of society.

Dads (and husbands) became irrelevant sometime in the mid-60’s when the phrase, “a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle,” was coined.

Since then, men have become sitcom’s bumbling fools, inept at relationships and childcare, and the brunt of sexist jokes that would never be tolerated if aimed at a woman.

Well, surprise. Study after study has confirmed that kids need fathers like a fish needs water – but, kids already knew this.

First the dismal “absent father” statistics; children from fatherless families are more likely to live in poverty, do poorly in school, are more likely to drop out, have more emotional and behavior problems, have a higher divorce rate, are more likely to abuse drugs, and more likely to be incarcerated.

But, the great news is fathers can turn this around, even if they don’t live in the home. Further studies have shown that children of divorce can do well if their father is involved in their lives and supplements his child-time with frequent phone calls or e-mails, because, “There are ex-husbands, but no ex-fathers.”

There is no doubt that mothers play an all-important leading role in their children’s lives – but they’re not dads, and their style is very different.

Dads are the solid foundation. They’re the “mess-makers, the rule-breakers, the risk-takers.” They rock their children more and spend more time on the floor rolling around and playing hard. They’re the rough to mom’s tender.

Kids pick their dads for action. They pick their moms for nurturing. Both are vital.

Mother’s Day was last month, the stores filled with cards and candy. Retailers aren’t nearly as excited about Fathers Day. But we should be, because they’re great.

Let’s hear it for the dads.

Reach Auburn resident Karen Shepherd at karen.shepherd@rocketmail.com.