It may be marked by a long weekend with an over-consumption of chocolate, but how can Easter possibly compete with the trees, decorations, carols, presents and all that comes along with Christmas?

While the stores are doing their best to persuade shoppers into a spending frenzy a few days ahead of Father's Day this weekend, it's an event that is treated with far less appreciation than Mother's Day.

Come May, there's no avoiding the annual festival of all things maternal, with every shopping mall, florist, bakery and restaurant in the country urging customers to celebrate and "spoil" the woman who gave them life.

Tear-jerking advertisements adulate the importance of showing her profound gratitude while fast-food chains condescendingly suggest husbands and children give her "the night off" from cooking dinner.

However, the promoting of Father's Day is treated with much less seriousness. If mom is portrayed as the all-knowing and selfless caregiver, then Dad is still presented as an endearing buffoon. In other words, he is a loveable but clueless father figure who adores his children but couldn't possibly be expected to take care of them without first being given detailed instructions.

Why is this nonsense still being discussed in 2018 — a time in which men and women are supposed to be equal and men are more involved than ever in the day to day caring for their children?

Schools and childcare centers are constantly filled with fathers in the morning, clutching backpacks and water bottles as they settle in their kids for the day. On the weekend, parks overflow with doting dads. An increasing number of employers are even implementing flexible hours and paternity leave as a result of the growing number of men eager to balance between work and fatherhood.

With that being said, I think it is about time to stop treating Father's Day as second place to Mother's Day. Furthermore, this weekend celebrate your father just as you would do for your mother.