Children are born into this world with two parents for a reason, both parents play an equally important role in the child’s life, but why is it that Dad’s matter? What is it about Dads that make children so happy? What key role does Dad play in your child’s life?
Let’s start by being very clear, this article is discussing why Dads matter and when we refer to Dad it can be a broad range of people. Most importantly it is about that man who is playing the role of Dad in your child’s life. If you are co-parenting it is indeed possible a child has more than one Dad figure and that’s fine, all Dads matter and here’s why …
Why Dads Matter
Researchers and psychologists alike have always thought that the mother and child bond was stronger than any other bond, but as time has gone on and parenting structures have changed, it has come to light that Dads pay a key role in a child’s life. From that backyard game of catch to the disciplinary tone a Dad has, all parts of fatherhood matter significantly in a child’s life.
- Through hands on play and interaction from Dad, your child learns to challenge themselves in a way that only Dad can challenge them. A Dad may seem more like a very stern and firm approach to parenthood than that of the more nurturing mother personality.
- Dad tend to use a broader range of words when speaking to their child, unlike Moms who seem to be more in tune with the language needs of their child, which in turn enables the child in turn to have a larger vocabulary and learn new concepts.
- Daughters tend to benefit in substantial ways when having a loving, secure relationship with their Dad. When a Dad is involved in a daughter’s life from ages 5 to about age 7, research has shown the daughter’s chances of early puberty and risk-taking reduces significantly.
- Sons who have good memories of their Dad being involved in their upbringing then to be less aggressive later in life and have a stronger ability to handle stress in a reasonably safe way.
There are many reasons why Dad’s matter, when a child has both a male and female role model to look up to on a regular basis they tend to be happier, healthier and grow up to be self-confident adults. So the next time you see your Dad, make sure to thank him for being a valuable part of your life, because without his parenting ways combined with your mother, you may not be where you are at in life today.