When my oldest son was born in July of 2008, I thought I could easily balance my career and my desire to be far more engaged at home than my father and his generation were. I was wrong.
But a man’s mere presence, paycheck and willingness to punish misbehaving children is not nearly enough. Many of the benefits of fathering for children come from dads being nurturing, loving and engaged in all aspects of parenting. Broad paternal involvement with kids is important because dads have unique effects on kids. Children’s values, beliefs, emotional expression and social development are strongly associated with fathering. Kids are better regulated emotionally, more resilient and more open-minded when their fathers are involved in their education and socialization.
However, some men compensate for their own fathers’ poor or nonexistent parenting by forming their own ideas and values about parenting.The findings from my survey build on decades of research on the benefits of positive fathering. And these advantages aren’t just for children. Many fathers increased their share of child care tasks during the Covid-19 pandemic. These shifts may become permanent, ultimately changing cultural values around parenting and gender roles.