Fathers' contributions are invaluable!
Despite significant increases in the numbers of
stay-at-home fathers and dads who take active roles in the care of their
children, many parenting magazines, books and blogs are geared almost
exclusively toward mothers. Likewise, fathers are often overlooked at their
children’s schools, by pediatricians and other clinicians. That’s unfortunate
since research shows that paternal involvement is extremely important to
children’s development in a myriad of ways. With Father’s Day just
around the corner, this week’s blog addresses dads’ invaluable contributions to
their children’s lives.
Involved fathers have smarter children
Studies have shown that engaged fathers are more likely
to have children that have higher IQs and do better in school. For example, a
recent study published in the Infant
Mental Health Journal found that “the association between
paternal interactions and cognitive outcome is evident at a very early age.” More specifically, the study reported that babies
who actively engage with their fathers, perform better on cognitive tests.
Dads’ communication styles help children with language
development
While moms tend to communicate with
their young children in high-pitched, sing-song tones using words they are
likely to recognize, dads are more likely to talk to their children as they
might talk to other adults, using vocabulary words that may be unfamiliar, and
discussing topics that pertain to happenings in the outside world. According to
University of Washington researcher Mark VanDam, fathers’ verbal interactions “might act as a link to the
outside world,” helping to prepare them for life outside the home and family.
Additionally, researchers Lynne Vernon-Feagans of the University of North Carolina and Nadya
Pancsofar at the College of New Jersey told Today.com they
were surprised to discover that “not only are fathers important for children’s
language development, but that fathers matter more than
mothers.” Their studies found that “when fathers used more words with their
children during play, children had more advanced language skills a year later.”
Dads encourage [healthy]
risk-taking
Dads tend to
be more relaxed [than mothers] when it comes to their parenting styles, says Larry Cohen, a psychologist in Boston and author of "Playful Parenting." Whereas mothers may discourage children from engaging in potentially
dangerous sports or taking on challenges they feel may be beyond their child’s
abilities, fathers are likely to encourage them. While this may be a risky
proposition, especially for children with disabilities, it may also push them
past their comfort zones, building their confidence and skills.
Dads make great playmates
While moms are
known for their empathy, nurturing and caregiving, children often turn to their
dads when it’s time to play. As we well know, play is one of the most important
activities of childhood. “Play—especially active physical play, like
roughhousing—makes kids smart, emotionally intelligent, lovable and likable,
ethical, physically fit, and joyful,” write authors Anthony T. DeBenedet, MD
and Lawrence J. Cohen, in their book, “The Art of Roughhousing.”
While children
with physical disabilities may not be able to roughhouse, they can still benefit
from their fathers’ propensities for silliness. According to the New Zealand Herald, “Researchers from Sheffield University discovered the importance of
both "silly play" and imaginative play during tests on children aged
16 to 24 months. Jokes included an adult putting a toy chicken on
their head, while fantasy games involved activities like pretending to wash
hands without soap or water.” Such play, said the researchers, improved children’s
social skills and increased creativity.
And clinicians
at the Hanen Centre, an organization dedicated to building
children’s language and literacy skills maintain that fathers’ playstyles are “uniquely
suited to support the play development of their children with ASD [autism
spectrum disorders]. Fathers have special ways of
playing with their children, such as physical and rough-and-tumble play. This
type of play can be very helpful and motivating for children with autism.”
Dads’ love corresponds to better outcomes for kids
Though no one can deny the importance of being raised by
a loving mother, “knowing that kids feel loved by their father is a better predictor of
young adults' sense of well-being, of happiness, of life satisfaction …," says
director of the Center for the Study of Interpersonal Acceptance and Rejection
at the University of Connecticut Ronald Rohner. In a 2012 interview with Live Science, Rohner said he
wasn’t sure why fathers’ love had a greater impact on adult children than
mothers’ love, but he hypothesized that in families where dads have more
“influence and prestige” than mothers, “his actions might make the greatest
impression on the children.”
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