Written by Bindy Cummings and Dr Tessa Grigg

With Father’s Day just around the corner, what better way to celebrate and to thank Dad, than to let him know some of the advantages, according to science, of him being involved in his children’s lives: Dadvantages!

It is impossible to overestimate the importance of Dad. A substantial body of research demonstrates that a father’s involvement has enormous implications for his child in terms of social, emotional, behavioural, physical and cognitive development – the more involved the father, the better! A current analysis of over one hundred studies on parent-child relationships, completed by Allen and Daly¹, found that having a loving, nurturing, and involved father was as important for a child’s overall development as having a loving and nurturing mother. Happily, recent studies indicate that dads are now more engaged in child-rearing than ever before. We have been thrilled at the increasing number of dads who are able to make it to GymbaROO-KindyROO classes!

A father is defined as an ‘involved father’ if his relationship with his child can be described as; sensitive, warm, friendly, supportive, nurturing, affectionate, encouraging, comforting and accepting ¹. Being ‘involved’ is also defined by the amount of time spent doing things together including, but not limited to; performing routine physical childcare, (changing nappies, dressing, bathing, preparing meals); shared relaxation time, (reading together, telling stories, singing nursery rhymes) and the amount of playtime and how effective, mutual and reciprocal the play is. In addition, fathers are classified as being ‘involved’ if their child has developed a strong, secure attachment to them.

Experts agree that a biological live-in father isn’t a requirement for passing down the benefits of involved fathering and that children can receive the same positive benefits from a dedicated and loving stepdad or a father figure, such as an uncle, grandfather, or close male friend.

Research has shown the following Dadvantages of being a highly involved father to child development

1. Cognitive Development
   • Infants are more cognitively competent at six months. By one year, they continue to have higher cognitive functioning and are better problem solvers. By the age of three, children have a higher IQ. School-aged children are better equipped for learning, are more likely to have better quantitative and verbal skills and are overall better academic achievers
   • Children are less likely to have behavioural issues and are more likely to enjoy school, have better attitudes toward school, participate in extracurricular activities and graduate
   • Children are more likely to become educationally mobile young adults with higher levels of economic and educational achievement, career success and psychological well-being
2. Physical Development
   • Children tend to develop better posture, balance, vision and coordination. Dads are inclined to be a lot more vigorous and active in their play than mums. Active play provides stimulation to important parts of the brain, stimulates the balance organs and enables the developing brain to organise itself so that the body can appropriately respond to gravity and sensory information. (GymbaROO-KindyROO parents know that this is also important for cognitive and emotional development!)
3. Emotional Development and Well-Being
   • Infants are more likely to be securely attached to their dads and be more resilient in the face of stressful situations while being more curious and eager to explore the environment. They are better able to handle strange situations and relate more maturely to strangers
   • Children are more likely to demonstrate a greater tolerance for stress and frustration and have superior problem-solving and adaptive skills. They tend to be more playful, resourceful, skillful and attentive when presented with a problem and are better able to manage their emotions and impulses in an adaptive manner
   • Children tend to experience better overall life satisfaction with more optimism and less depression, emotional distress and fewer expressions of negative emotions such as fear and guilt
   • Children are more likely to demonstrate greater internal control, have a better ability to take initiative, use self-direction and display less impulsivity
   • Young adults are more likely to score highly on measures of self-acceptance, see themselves as dependable, trusting, practical and friendly, are more likely to succeed in their work and be mentally healthy
4. Social Development
   • Children are more likely to have positive sibling and peer relationships and be popular and well-liked. They display less negativity, aggression and conflict and more reciprocity, generosity and positive friendship qualities. They tend to display overall social competence, maturity and capacity to relate to others
   • Children are more likely to grow up to be tolerant, understanding, and empathetic. They are also more likely to be well-socialised and successful adults who have long-term, successful partnerships and supportive social networks consisting of long-term close friendships
   • Children tend to score higher on measures of moral maturity – internal moral judgment, moral values and conformity to rules
   • Young adults appear to have fewer behavioral problems, seem to be somewhat inoculated against alcohol and drug abuse and delay sexual activity. According to recent research in the United States, children without attentive fathers are three times more likely to end up in the juvenile justice system before the age of eighteen compared to those with involved fathers²
   • The impact of an involved father and his love and nurturance is worth so much to his children’s well-being, their life and their learning. Thanks Dad! Come September, we would like to wish all dads everywhere a very happy Father’s Day.

Here are some celebration suggestions and cost-effective ways you can make Father’s Day a fun day.

• Involve the children in making and decorating a Father’s Day cake or biscuits
• Craft Dad something. A craft that involves feet and/or handprints is always treasured. Young children will need some help! Here are some lovely ideas: https://activebabiessmartkids.com.au/articles/fathers-day-craft-10-sweet-easy-ideas/
• Have afternoon tea in a homemade hut (furniture, cushions and sheets make a perfect hut). This is fun for younger children. You could even decorate the hut if your older children are keen!
• Wear dress-ups for lunch (everyone). Either items that the children like to dress-up in or everyone could wear something belonging to Dad and surprise him with all the Dad look-alikes
• Make paper hats to wear at a meal. Children can draw pictures for Dad on the hats
• Make a special Father’s Day tablecloth from an old sheet. Use non-toxic paint and have the children paint pictures on it. You could also make the tablecloth from craft paper, butcher’s paper etc.
• Making sure the children are involved, make Dad breakfast in bed.
• Do a performance for Dad. Children 2 years+ love to perform. Help them prepare a song or a little play that they can perform
• Make a treasure hunt for Dad. Children are not very good at keeping the surprise, however adapt the game to suit the age of the children. A treasure hunt with a series of clues that the mother/adult has done would enable the children to help Dad find the treasure. The treasure may be something the children have made or a voucher for a kiss and a hug

References:

1. Allen S, Daly K. The effects of father involvement: A summary of the research evidence. The Fll-O News. 2002.
2. Yoder JR, Brisson D, Lopez A. Moving Beyond Fatherhood Involvement: The Association Between Father-Child Relationship Quality and Youth Delinquency Trajectories. Family Relations. 2016;65(3):462-76.

Bindy Cummings (B.Ed Hons) is a teacher, GymbaROO-KindyROO early childhood neurodevelopmental consultant, early childhood development lecturer, GymbaROO teacher trainer, INPP consultant and iLS consultant. She is the Editor of GymbaROO’s First Steps magazine and digital articles. 

Dr Tessa Grigg (PhD, Dip Tch Primary and ECE) is an experienced teacher and the Research and Education Manager at GymbaROO-KindyROO.