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How do fathers parent? Is it different
from the way mothers parent? If the child has a strong and secure
bond with the mother, does the lack of father involvement really
matter?
A great deal of research has been
conducted to address these questions. And the findings may surprise
you.
Children with fathers involved in
their lives tend to make better grades in school. This is not an
accident. Fathers more than mothers tend to put a priority on the
child’s academic success.
The child whose father is actively
involved in his or her life also typically has fewer behavioral
problems in school. Fathers are often more authoritative, focusing
more on morality and discipline. Hence the child is less likely
to reject or defy other authorities.
For the same reasons, when the father
is involved, the child is less likely to get in trouble with the
law.
When the father is involved, the
child tends to have higher self-esteem. The importance of this effect
can hardly be overstated. High self-esteem is a "universal
resource." There is nothing researchers have been able to measure
that people with high self-esteem don’t do better than those
with low self-esteem! They do better in school. They do better as
athletes. They do better in careers. They have more friends. They
do better in dating. They even make better parents!
When the father is involved, the
child is less likely to be promiscuous. And, if female, the child
is less likely to become pregnant out of wedlock. This is due partly
to the father’s greater focus on morality and discipline,
and partly to the child having higher self-esteem.
Children who enjoy active involvement
with their fathers also report higher career goals. These children
actually achieve higher levels of occupational success.
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