Father's Role in Child's Development

In contrary to what most of think, a dad's role is more than just paying the bills and securing the child's future financially. Dads can play a pivotal role in a child's development; in fact a father can boost a child intellectually, developmentally, and socially.

Hundreds of researches and studies indicate that the more a dad is involved in a child's development, the more successful will the child be in his/ her life. A father's presence or love is as important for a child as that of the mother. Apart from financial security, a father provides physical and psychological support, which is immensely important for a child to grow into a responsible and loving adult. According to a study by the University of Illinois, children whose father take time to ask about their day-to-day activities, what they did in school and how they spent the day, do better in school than children who do not experience the involvement of their fathers.

Importance of a Father in a Daughter's Life

'My daddy strongest' or 'My daddy is the best', we hear it from almost all the girls. This is because girls view their dads as a supportive system and their involvement has many positive effects on their life. A study by University of Oxford researchers suggests, girls who are more involved with their fathers are less likely to develop mental problems later in life. Another report by Vanderbilt University reveals girls who have been close to their fathers during the first five years of their life reached puberty later than girls who did not spend time with their fathers. So love, support and care from a father can help a girl grow up to be a confident and independent woman. This is also the reason why girls look for men who hold the characteristics of their fathers and resemble them behaviourally.

Importance of a Father in a Boy's Life

Boys mostly model themselves as their dads; they wish to live up to their dads expectations and will look for approval in everything they do. Boys imitate their father's behaviours that they recognise was the reason for their father's success and recognition.  So a loving dad will have an equally loving and supportive son. A report by University of Oxford shows that boys who have caring and involved father are less likely to get in trouble with police as they grow up.

So it is important that father spend more time with their children and encourage a healthy and happy upbringing. In order to strengthen the bond between a father and his child, she should spend time playing with the child, help the child with his/ her homework, help in solving problems and protect the child whenever required. A father can also help the child to learn discipline, so they should get involved with the mothers and contribute to the overall development of the child. After we all want our children to grow as happy and responsible individuals, so it is time that fathers get more involved with their children.