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Studies have found that the father is a child's preferred attachment figure in approximately 5–20% of cases. [1] [2] [3] Fathers and mothers may react differently to the same behaviour in an infant, and the infant may react to the parents' behaviour differently depending on which parent performs it.
For example, children raised with significant positive father involvement display greater empathy, higher self-esteem, increased curiosity, higher verbal skills, and higher scores of cognitive competence." [7] Increasingly, the responsible fatherhood movement has defined itself by focusing on the development of healthy father-child relationships.
Lamb's longitudinal study of infants with their mothers and fathers revealed the broad range of significant relationships established in early childhood, emphasizing not only the mother-child bond but also the importance of father-child and other significant relationships, such as siblings and regular care providers. [4]
Statistics show that fathers' levels of testosterone tend to decline several months before the birth of the child. Since high testosterone levels are linked to more aggressive behaviour, low levels may enhance the ability to develop a new relationship bond. [4] [5] Fathers also have an important bonding role after the child is born.
In addition to these findings, researchers have used the data to examine the importance of fathers in young adults’ lives, [19] childhood sleep, [22] adolescent relationships, [23] child protective service contact, [24] exposure to deadly gun violence, [25] eviction prevalence, [26] and law enforcement exposure, [27] among many other topics.
Older parents also tend to occupy a higher socio-economic position and report feeling more devoted to their children and satisfied with their family. [43] On the other hand, the risk of the father dying before the child becomes an adult increases with paternal age. [43] To adjust for genetic liability, some studies compare full siblings.
A stay-at-home dad taking care of children in the American Midwest c. 2000. A stay-at-home dad [a] is a father who is the main caregiver of the children and is generally the homemaker of the household. The female equivalent is the stay-at-home mother or housewife. As families have evolved, the practice of being a stay-at-home dad has become ...
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, "There are an estimated 105,000 'stay-at-home' dads. These are married fathers with children under fifteen years of age who are not in the workforce primarily so they can care for family members, while their wives work for a living outside the home. Stay-at-home dads care for 189,000 children." [26]