Misfit Minute - Fathers
Do fathers make a difference?
This week, I saw that Father's Day was ranked lower than Pancake Tuesday on a list of popular UK holidays, coming in at 8th (Mother's Day is third). It's hard to say whether this is down to appreciation, a better marketing campaign, or that the potential fallout from forgetting Mother's Day is much worse. However, I also saw a few interesting facts about the benefit of father figures.
Mothers are more likely to make rules, yet fathers are more likely to enforce them consistently - developing discipline.
Children behave 800% worse around mothers than fathers due to the fact they feel safe to act how they want - fewer consequences + more likely to be protected
Children from fatherless homes fare worse, long term, than motherless homes, partly due to point 1, but also because fathers worry less. Maternal instincts keep children alive, paternal instincts push children out into the world on their own to take risks and make mistakes. This develops resilience and necessary problem-solving skills.
Children from homes with a father are:
Twice as likely to go to university
Less likely to be homeless - 90% of homeless people are fatherless
75% less likely to have a teen pregnancy
80% less likely to go to jail
50% less likely to experience mental health problems
Fathers are more likely to engage in rough-and-tumble play.
Exploring aggression in a safe setting develops boundaries, socialises children and helps them, especially boys, regulate their emotions.
Overall, children who come from two-parent families tend to have the best long-term outcomes, however, we will all know plenty of exceptions to all of the above statistics. The key is to appreciate the benefits that traditional maternal and paternal roles have in raising children, no matter who plays what.
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References
Batty, David. “Single-Parent Families Double Likelihood of Child Mental Illness.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 21 Feb. 2006.
Coulombe, Nikita. “The US Is Leading the Way in Fatherlessness and It’s Hurting Our Kids.” Elite Daily, 18 June 2015.