The Importance of Fathers in the Healthy Development of Children
Growing up without a
father can be more harmful than we think. With the growing numbers of single family
households in America we can only wonder what types of effects this can have on
the children raised under these conditions. “Fathers are far more than just
second adults in the home, Involved fathers bring positive benefits to their
children that no other person is as
likely to bring” (Popenoe, D, 1996) Being brought up in the house with an
active father it increases the child’s cognitive ability, educational achievements,
psychological well-being, and social behavior. These are all star quality traits
that result in a highly achieved, responsible, successful adult.
Many resources are
available to give further detail on the topic such as U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services, The National Fatherhood Initiative and the National Center
for Fathering are a few good resources to give more detail on the impact active
fathers have on the outcome of the child. Another very important influence the fathers
can have on their children is the quality of the relationship they have with
their mother. “A father who has a good relationship with the mother of their
children is more likely to be involved and spend more time with their children
and they have children that are psychologically and emotionally healthier”
(Rosenberg, Wilcox, 2006)
A father who is involved in the care giving of
their infant and they display nurturing behaviors to their infants as well as
being playful with them, it has been seen that theses infants have higher IQ
scores than on average. “A 2001 U.S. Department of Education study found that
highly involved biological fathers had children who were 43 percent more likely
than other children to earn mostly A’s and 33 percent less likely than other
children to repeat a grade. (Nord, C., & West, J. (2001)
It is clear that a father being in the household has many positive effects on
the children throughout life and helps them to become a better more responsible
adult.
References:
Rosenberg, Jefferey; Wilcox, W. Bradford, Office on
Child Abuse and Neglect, U.S. Children’s Bureau, (2006) “The Importance of
Fathers in the Healthy Development of Children”
