Father Involvement During Early Childhood

The role of the father, a male figure in a child’s life is a very crucial role that has been diminishing over the years. An absent father can be defined in two ways; the father is physically not present, or the father is physically present, but emotionally present. To an adolescent, a father is an idolized figure, someone they look up to (Feud, 1921), thus when such a figure is an absent one, it can and will negatively affect a child’s development. Many of the problems we face in society today, such as crime and delinquency, poor academic achievement, divorce, drug use, early pregnancy and sexual activity can be attributed to fathers being absent during adolescent development (Popenoe, 1996; Whitehead, 1993). The percentage of

The methods or style of parenting, teaching and engagements strong impacts on the child development as it is the primary socialization point for children. It gives children a point of reference as when they are young they grow observing and learning keenly on what their parents are doing. Studies show that, children that are raised by active, involving and playful fathers performs better in school, have higher IQ and can cope with school related stress easily compared to those that are raised in families where father figure is absent or less involving. It also shows

However, not just the mere presence of a father is enough to make a difference in a child’s development. Research has shown that a child’s development is affected by both the quantity and quality of father involvement (Wilson & Prior, 2010). Being an involved father means not only investing economic resources into a child, but also time. Wilson and Prior (2010) found that high levels of father involvement was associated with significant and highly desirable children’s developmental outcomes. Similarly, Bronte-Tinkew, Carrano, Horowitz, and Kinukawa (2008) used data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Birth Cohort to investigate whether or not a fathers involvement would play role in infant cognitive outcomes. They found that high father involvement reduces the likelihood of infant cognitive delay. Further they found that this was especially true for male infants and infants with disabilities.

Over the course of an individual’s life span, one is seen forming relationships with several people in whom they find their presence an important aspect to their life. However, among these relationships, parent-child relationships are the most valuable, but also very complex. These relationships are built from a foundation of interaction starting from the birth of the child to their adulthood. Unfortunately, if this involvement is not present within a child’s life, it can ultimately cause them to feel neglected causing outrageous conflicts, behavior issues and emotional disputes. Parental involvement within a child’s life allows them to gain a sense of security ultimately increasing new learning of the child

Some scholars have argued the notion that fathers are important contributors to their children and adolescents’ psychosocial development (Mandara, Murray, & Joyner, 2005). According to Allgood, Beckert, and Peterson (2012), researchers are beginning to understand the importance of examining children’s perspectives and the relationships and levels of involvement children have with their fathers.

Per Psychology Today, children who have an involved father from birth tend to be more emotionally secure, confident, better educational outcomes and

Nice article. It was interesting to read that father's interact with their children more than their mothers. I do believe that mothers provide more emotional support than fathers but I do not think fathers spend more direct time. I do agree that they may explore play interactions differently from mothers. It is important that children gain exposure to stimulating environments because it is beneficial to their development. an environment where children are able to be active and at the same time use their senses to learn and adapt will increase their physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development. Also as parents interact and play with their kids they are able to form a close relationship with trust. The more interaction

Throughout this entire I have learned so much about men, and the variety of behaviors they possess in different social contexts. Out of all the ideas I learned I found one extremely important and interesting, father-child relationship. Specifically, the differences between a traditional and an involved dad. I always knew that not every parenting style was the same among fathers, and how some were more involved than others. I never thought there was a category of these two types of fathers. After breaking down each category, a lot of it made so much sense. The most important thing between the two was the emphasis on how the traditional dad tends to deflect the responsibility of parenting, while the involved dad has a committed

Fathers are often under a lot of personal and cultural pressure to be “the man of the house.” Studies have gone in depth regarding how this affects a father's interaction with his children. Often, fathers spend their whole lives working to support their children and teaching them important new skills and abilities. Even more than a mother, they perceive their children as weak or

What was found was that parents who were absent from their kids’ lives put their kids at a disadvantage. Parents who were involved in their children's lives and stayed away from discipline led to kids who had greater socioemotional

This assessment included the father engagement through telling stories, singing, reading, and other measurable indicators. The research also looked into the parent perception of the child, and the co-parenting relationship. Finally, the researchers controlled for variables, to mitigate suspicious engagement among the father engagement, mother-child attachment, and co-parenting. After controlling for disqualifying factors the researchers were left with a sample that was slightly skewed due to a larger than normal proportion of married/cohabitating and minority families. It is unclear what the impact to the overrepresentation of some groups may have had on the study. The methodology of surveying only mothers does leave room for criticism of implicit bias.

We also talked about the impact that mothers and fathers have on their child during the developmental period of their life. A lot of time in families, the father might have a job they have attend during the week that limits their ability to be around their child. If the father is present in the child’s first 6 weeks of life, he will have more of an impact in the relationship

In Fatherneed, Pruett (2000) reported on a scientific study that linked positive father involvement with lowered levels of disruptive behavior, acting out, depression, and telling lies; obeying parents, being kind to others, and being responsible; fewer behavioral problems in young boys; and girls being happier, more confident, and willing to try new things (p. 52).

4. Making fathers to participate into children’s schoolwork and activities would be an efficient way to get fathers involved. Father involved school counseling program was such a program that required fathers’ involvement. The program was faced to children who experienced parental marital dissolution. However, many problems these divorced fathers were facing also applied to fathers in “doing the best I can”. Fathers from the book and fathers who just separated from kids’ mother were both likely to e wronged by their chidlren. For instance, Jeff in the “doing the best I can” expressed how heartbreaking it was when he heard his daughter told him numerous things that her mother’s boyfriend had done for her. He said “if I give you a million dollars

Most mothers and fathers love their kids with all their heart. As a child begins to age, parents begin to influence their kids and will mold them as they mature. However, parents without much care for their kids will leave a long-term effect on their children and in this study, the main impact is the father.