Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge
in him.

Children love their daddys. Although dads provide less basic care, dads tend to play more. Dad's play is noisier and more boisterous than mom's play. Dad's tend to invent new and exciting ways to interact with their children. When young children are placed in a strange situation and both mom and dad are present, children look to their dads for cues on whether to venture out or not.
In some parts of the world when evening comes missionary moms and dads and children are together at home, sometimes with no television. In these situations families make their own fun. In other parts of the world, evening is the best time for missionary dads to study with others. Whatever kind of culture you find yourself in, dads should never underestimate their importance to the family. Fathers are to nurture their children. They are not to exasperate their children (Eph. 6:4). Nurture is a male characteristic for Christian fathers. Here is a link to a web-site (http://www.smartfamilies.com) that offers dad's some hints on how to interact with their children. Some of the ideas may be too American to apply where you live, but missionaries are resourceful people. You will probably get a few ideas that you can use or adapt. Blessings and love's prayers to all the missionary dads out there...Dottie