Role of Fathers in Child Rearing
A father's role in his children's lives has changed over the last two centuries. Two hundred years ago, while mothers provided day-to-day care for children, fathers were the primary parent, disciplining, teaching and providing moral guidance. In the 19th century, fathers became primarily providers while mothers took on the primary parent role. Now, fathers and mothers are likely to be co-parents, with both parents involved in all aspects of child-rearing.
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What Fathers Offer
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Involved fathers play a crucial role in child development. Children whose fathers are positively involved in their lives are less aggressive and perform better in school. Fathers are more likely than mothers to play with their children, especially rough-and-tumble play. In addition, fathers give their children more freedom to explore. All of this helps children learn how to be independent, get along with other people and stand up for themselves.
When a Father is Absent
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Thirty-six percent of children live apart from their biological fathers. These children are more likely to live in poverty. Over 65 percent of children whose mothers were never married live below the poverty line. In addition these children are more likely to suffer from child abuse, break the law, become pregnant as teenagers, drop out of school, abuse drugs and alcohol and become involved in crime and violence.
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Stay-At-Home Dads
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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of fathers who stay home to take care of their children is increasing. In 2002, 105,000 fathers with working spouses stayed home to care for their families. By 2006, this number had increased to 159,000. This number does not include fathers who work part-time or are consultants in addition to serving as their children's primary caregivers. Including these men raises the number of stay-at-home dads to nearly two million.
Dads and Daughters
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According to Dr. Ken Canfield, daughters need five things from their fathers. First, they need comfort when they are sad or disappointed. Fathers need to listen to their daughters, allow their daughters to express themselves and then respond with empathy. Second, daughters need guidance from their fathers as they make important life choices. Third, daughters need encouragement so their self-confidence stays high. Fourth, daughters need vision so they can pursue their dreams. Finally, daughters need protection, from physical, moral and societal dangers.
Fathers and Sons
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Fathers teach boys how to be good fathers and husbands. In addition, boys with nurturing fathers have higher cognitive abilities and analytical skills. According to Dr. Canfield, boys need their fathers to help them develop a plan for their lives and to provide an example to emulate. Boys also need fathers to monitor their actions and hold them accountable and to provide moral and spiritual benchmarks. Finally, boys need their fathers to show them how to be loving men.
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References
- Photo Credit father with baby image by Pavel Losevsky from Fotolia.com
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Comments
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Good assesment! #dads-u-r-vital
