The fathers factor - what is the significance of the father for the development of children?

It took a long time to seriously address the question of how important fathers are to children's development. In the foreground for a long time was the question of what happens when the father is missing. But even the debate on this topic could only be answered inadequately. Fathers are important, you know that today. How important is often part of in-depth research and investigation.

Fathers and children - that's a very special relationship. The family researcher Prof. dr. Wassilios E. Fthenakis and dr. Beate Minsel from the State Institute for Early Childhood Education in Munich have examined this relationship in more detail. And they are not the only ones, meanwhile many specialists deal with fathers and children.

Active paternity and influence on the offspring

Prof. Dr. Wassilios E. Fthenakis and dr. Beate Minsel come to the conclusion that the active fatherhood has considerable influence on the children. Conversely, this does not mean that "fatherlessness" generally has a negative impact. Especially since this term alone is misleading, because no one is fatherless, at most fathers must sometimes be deprived. After all, every person has a father, even if he does not often show up. Due to occupational obligations, fathers today are often the ones who are less often perceived by the child because they travel a lot. But if the relationship is intense in the time available, negative effects can usually be avoided. Apparently the professional activity of the father is even particularly influential for the development of the child. Anyway, this is the conclusion of an American long-term study.

The father and the work: A double-edged sword

According to the American study, the profession of the father has a strong influence on the later educational occupation of the child. This is confirmed by the observations over a period of 20 years. They showed that the choice of apprenticeship profession is mainly influenced by the father. The mother has a smaller influence here. Conversely, observers draw conclusions about the academic performance of children, who often have to spare their fathers. They show a lower level of performance than the average of the group of persons studied. But to reduce the father role to school or professional factors, of course, would be too brief.

Self-esteem through father's help

Fthenakis and Minsel come to the conclusion that not only is the professional career of a child in most cases more influenced by the father than by the mother. The development of self-esteem also falls into the unconscious task of the father. The time spent between father and child, while not alone on the factor of duration to reduce, after all, is intensively used time better than the lost father, who seems only physically present. On the other hand, children run the risk of building a weak male self-concept when the father is rarely around. In any case, the fact is that fathers and mothers alike play an important role for the child. The functions are different. Fathers often embody playmates or teachers, often authority figures, without fear of being connected with the child. What does not work is the attempt to be a kind of "second mother" as a father. The differences between men and women are important to the child, so the father should try to fill in the role of father rather than adopting or even copying those of the mother.

What dads can do to use the father factor

Nothing happens that way without having to do something about it. Not even fatherhood. Whether fathers spend more or less time with their children is - as we have stated - not alone decisive. The quality is important. And that can be positively influenced. Wassilios E. Fthenakis has made a list that can help fulfill the role of the father:

First of all, it should be self-evident that men respond to the needs and desires of their children. This includes talking to the offspring, so talking and listening alike.
Even if the job is so important - even in the week children need time with the father. It is best to arrange a fixed time with the offspring. These moments then belong exclusively to father and child.
No less relevant are activities with the whole family. For children it is important to see the family as a whole and to experience what it feels like to do something together with mother and father.
Activities of father and child should be planned together and possibly ritualized. It may also be possible to jointly develop hobbies of father and child.
Parent evenings, holiday activities, the child's hobby - all these are important things for children. Fathers should also participate and not just act as "men for special moments".
The more abstract the profession of the father is for the children, the more negative he is occupied. Fathers should - as far as possible - let their children participate in the profession. They should explain what they do and why it matters so much. The same applies to hobbies. Children understand better why their father is gone in the evening when they know that he has a hobby that means a lot to him.