Honoring Dads - they are significant!

Happy Father's Day to all the dads, dads-to-be, step-dads, father figures (foster dads, uncles, brothers, cousins and grandfathers)!


Uncles too!





Grandpas too!



Never underestimate the value of a father. Other good male role models such as grandfathers and uncles can also help to shape a child in the absence of the father, but there are benefits to the child in having a good father figure in the home.

"For daughters, Daddy is the first man they adore ... the first man whose eyes shine with overwhelming amazement when they look at us. He is the first man to fall in love with us.

For sons, Daddy is the idol they first aspire to emulate ... their mirror image of what will be and possibly the only man they will ever feel comfortable loving." - Rexanne Mancini, www.Pregnancy.org (The Importance of Fathers) - click post title to read the full article.

Parenting Weekly says:

Recent studies have suggested that children whose fathers are actively involved with them from birth are more likely to be emotionally secure, confident in exploring their surroundings, have better social connections with peers as they grow older, are less likely to get in trouble at home and at school, and are less likely to use drugs and alcohol. Children with fathers who are nurturing, involved, and playful also turn out to have higher IQs and better linguistic and cognitive capacities.

The way that fathers play with their children can be important as well. Fathers tend to spend more time in playful, physical activities with their children, which researchers believe helps children learn to regulate their emotions and resist the urge to act on aggressive impulses. Fathers also tend to encourage independence and achievement, in contrast to the nurturing and protective nature of mothers, both of which play an important role in a child's healthy development.

Father-child bonding is especially important to young girls. Dr. Obie Clayton, professor of sociology at Morehouse College, explains, "The effect that fathers have on daughters is extremely strong, even more so than for boys. When fathers interact with their daughters, those girls have higher self-esteem and go on to succeed in college." In addition, girls learn from their fathers how they should expect to be treated by men and those with loving, attentive fathers are less likely to end up in violent or unhealthy relationships. According to Phame Camarena, a researcher at Purdue University, "…a good predictor of an adolescent girl's mental health is her relationship with her father." (The Importance of Father-Child Bonding) Read the article here.

Language Development - A 2006 Science Daily article discusses this. "In families with two working parents, fathers had greater impact than mothers on their children's language development between ages 2 and 3" Click here for the full article.