I remember when I was about three or four years old, my dad would read fairy tale books to me before going to sleep. I always loved those moments and I anticipated them every night. At times, I remember having to force him to read to me. Understandably, not all fathers may have the time or the energy to do that all the time, however, a new research has shown that dads spending time with their children can go a long way in their children’s development.
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A study by researchers from the University of Leeds found that dads’ involvement in their children’s lives, especially during their formative years, through interactive activities like reading, playing, and storytelling can help boost their children’s performance at school.
Dr. Helen Norman, Research Fellow at Leeds University Business School, who led the research, said: “Mothers still tend to assume the primary carer role and therefore tend to do the most childcare, but if fathers actively engage in childcare too, it significantly increases the likelihood of children getting better grades in primary school. This is why encouraging and supporting fathers to share childcare with the mother, from an early stage in the child’s life, is critical.”
Furthermore, they also found that dads being more engaged in their children’s school activities contribute positively to the kids’ academic performance. The research suggests that playing, drawing, or singing with their kids every week and spending even 10 minutes a day reading or storytelling with them proves to have long-lasting effects for their children’s scholastic achievements. On the other hand, the mom heavily impacts the kids’ emotional and social development. With this in mind, they encourage both parents to share in the responsibility of childrearing as it greatly impacts the cognitive abilities of children.
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Source: neatorama