Pediatricians’ study says kids with involved fathers tend to do better in school and stay out of trouble. Share on Pinterest Is a father’s involvement important for a child’s development? Just ask Dr. Gregory Gordon. He’s been a pediatrician for 17 years. He’s also the father of nine children, ranging in age from 10 months to 19 years old. He’s seen the difference at work and at home. “Fathers who are involved help keep children on the right path,” Gordon, one of the pediatricians at the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Florida, told Healthline. Gordon’s assessment is backed up by a study released today by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The study is the first by the nonprofit organization on fatherhood since 2004. It’s being released in connection with Father’s Day this coming Sunday. Read More: A New Generation of Dads Juggle Work and Parenting »

The Growing Role of Fathers The AAP study reported that 2 million men in the United States are single parents. That’s about 17 percent of all single parents. In addition, slightly more than 3 percent of stay-at-home parents are men. Dr. Michael Yogman, chair of the AAP’s Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health and co-author of the report, told Healthline there are a number of reasons for the increased involvement by fathers in family life. He said one is the impact from the 2008 recession where unemployed men found it more difficult in many cases to find new jobs than unemployed women did. “More and more men were left at home,” Yogman said. He added trends in the workplace for the past 30 years have also put more women in the office and more men working from home. “Increasingly, parents are sharing the parenting roles,” Yogman said. The study also noted there are now an estimated 378,000 gay male couples in the United States. About 10 percent are raising children. “There’s a diversity of fathers as our culture has become more accepting,” said Yogman. Gordon agrees. “Parenting roles are a lot more blended,” he said. “Dads have realized they can do things they couldn’t do before.” Read More: Single Father Defeats Bladder Treatment Thanks to New Treatment »

How Fathers Help Children Gordon and Yogman agree that fathers can bring parenting skills to the table that most mothers can’t. The two physicians noted that mothers and fathers have different strengths and the key is for children to benefit from both of them. “It’s nice to have a teammate when parenting,” said Gordon. Yogman said men could provide comfort and security for children as well as encouraging independence and exploration. He said men tend to play more “rough and tumble” games with their kids. Gordon said he has fulfilled this role by going on camping trips with his five sons and four daughters. “It’s all about spending time with the kids,” said Gordon. “That’s all kids really want.” Yogman noted that these attributes could continue all the way until children are dropped off at college. Both Gordon and Yogman said children with involved fathers tend to do better in school, get in less trouble, stay away from drugs, and make better choices when it comes to picking partners. They added fathers also benefit along with the children. “It’s better for them and it’s better for the kids,” said Yogman. Read More: What Do You Want to Know About Parenting »