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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]
Dads often unfairly face the negative stereotype of being labeled as ‘deadbeats.’ But I see all around me excellent examples of fatherhood.
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.
Parenting skills and behaviors assist parents in leading children into healthy adulthood and development of the child's social skills. The cognitive potential, social skills, and behavioral functioning a child acquires during the early years are positively correlated with the quality of their interactions with their parents.
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.