DADS More than just Breadwinners
Until fairly recently, family and parenting literature tended to idolise motherhood and dismiss fatherhood. However, “the recent shift in family research [is] toward the perception of fathers as major contributors to both child and adult development” – Mary Pickard, 1998. Society is finally waking up to the fact that fathers are vitally important to the healthy development of their children. Their role goes far beyond the traditional stereotype of the father as the breadwinner.
Benefits of father-child relationships
Research shows conclusively the benefits for children of healthy father-child relationships. According to George Rekers [Professor of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioural Science, Research Director for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and Chairman of the Faculty in Psychology at the University a positive and continuous relationship to one’s father has been found to be associated with a good self-concept, higher self-esteem, higher self-confidence in personal and social interaction, higher moral maturity, reduced rates of unwed teen pregnancy, greater internal control, and higher career aspirations. Fathers who are affectionate, nurturing, and actively involved in child-rearing are more likely to have well-adjusted children.
