All fathers can be important contributors to the wellbeing of their children. While studies specifically on fatherhood are relatively new and somewhat neglected, there is a vast body of research that shows that parenting in general has a dominant and determinate impact on child development.

While the overall trend in parenting remains that mothers are the caregivers and fathers are the financial providers, one finding is certain: as a father you have a crucial role in your child’s development.

The Breadwinner and the Caretaker

This following scene is a familiar one: Mum is in the kitchen, single-handedly creating a masterpiece of culinary magic from the remnants found in the fridge while skilfully navigating the toddler clinging to her knees while baby is discovering some new found delight that has been discarded in the wake of an older sibling’s episode of ADHD… but where is dad?

As usual, he has returned from work, tired and worn out, and has retreated to his worn armchair to read the newspaper in an attempt to find some peace and quiet.

So maybe this stereotype isn’t a picture of your family. Meals may hardly be described as “culinary magic” and juggling the kids may look more like controlled chaos than skilful choreography but the label is all too familiar: parenting is the work of mothers and fathers need only to pay the bills.

However the landscape of the modern Singaporean family is well under transformation and today many women, including many mothers, are a mainstay of the workforce. So where does that leave Dad?

The Working Dad

For many fathers the number one reason for not spending more time with the kids and family is work. However, though work may appear to be the primary cause of a father’s absence, it is worth noting that work can positively affect how a father interacts with his children.

Men, by nature, derive a sense of success and importance from what they do. A positive work environment therefore has the potential to affect his physical and emotional wellbeing, which in turn can translate into positive involvement with his children.

Interestingly enough, research has found that fathers who are employed full-time have been found to have happier family lives and have better relationships with their children compared to their unemployed counterparts.

In fact, though an unemployed father may be physically more available, research shows that he contributes less to caring for children than an employed father does. A lack of income or opportunities for career advancement has a particularly negative effect on fathering. As stress from work and finances mounts, fathers tend to react by withdrawing from their families.

While much of what fathers do for their children has an indirect effect on them– it is not without importance. Economic provision for the family is the foundation on which many fathers build their family involvement.

And while a father’s role goes far beyond simply providing financial security, the importance of a family’s economic wellbeing on child development is well documented.

The key is not to hang up your fathering responsibilities with your tie at the end of the day. Children need their father’s involvement in their lives.

A Father’s Influence

The pace of modern life seems to carry us away at break-neck speeds, but research has found that on average, fathers are spending more time with their children now than fathers did 10 years ago.

When a dad chooses to be involved, nurturing and playful, children are more likely to:

• Have higher IQs
• Have better linguistic and cognitive capacities
• Start school with greater academic readiness
• Be more patient and capable of handling stress and frustrations
• Have fewer behaviour problems
• Have higher levels of academic performance
• Be more sociable
• Regulate their feelings and behaviour and exhibit self-control
• Be more comfortable and eager to explore the world around them
• Abstain from substance abuse, truancy and stealing in adolescence
• Enjoy school
• Have higher aspirations