Children benefit in many ways if their dads are involved in their lives. A positive father-child relationship can improve a child’s social skills, grades, and health. In addition, a healthy relationship between mom and dad makes it significantly more likely that a child will benefit from times spent with their dads. Research shows that the children who grow up with involved fathers have concrete benefits:
1 Nord, Christine, & West, Jerry. (2001) Fathers’ and Mothers’ Involvement in Their Children’s Schools by Family Type and Resident Status. (NCES 2001-032). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics.</p> 2 Martin, A., Ryan, R. M., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2007). The joint influence of mother and father parenting on child cognitive outcomes at age 5. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 22(4), 423-439. 3 Yogman, MW, Kindlon, D., & Earls, F. (1995). Father involvement and cognitive/behavioral outcomes of preterm infants. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 34(1), 58-66. 4 Furstenberg, F.F, & Harris, K.M. (1993). When and why fathers matter: Impacts of father involvement on the children of adolescent mothers. Pp. 117-38 in Young Unwed Fathers: Changing Roles and Emerging Policies. Edited by R.I. Lerman and T.J. Ooms. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press. 5 Bronte-Tinkew, J., Carrano, J., Horowitz, A., & Kinukawa, A. (2008). Involvement among resident fathers and links to infant cognitive outcomes. Journal of Family Issues, 29, 1211-1244.
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June 9, 2015