FATHER'S CARE
Involvement, influence, and affection: three keys to father-child
relationships.
Though they may sometimes find it difficult
to express their feelings, most fathers care about their children and
families.
In a 1980 Gallup poll, six out of ten fathers said their families were
"the most important element of my life at this time." Only 8
percent said their families were unimportant to them. When asked what they
found most satisfying about their families, fathers rated
"children," "closeness," and "being
together" as personally important. [1]
This hearty endorsement of family life contradicts some of the traditional
roles or popular images of fathers in our society:
The Wallet: This father is preoccupied
with providing financial support for his family. He may work long hours to
bring home his paycheck and does not take an active part in caring for the
children. Making money provides this father with a distraction from family
involvement.
The Rock: This is a "tough"
father - strict on discipline and in charge of the family. He may also
believe that a good father remains emotionally distant from his children,
so expressions of affection are taboo.
The Dagwood Bumstead: This father
tries to be a "real pal" to his children, but his efforts are
often clumsy or extreme. He doesn't understand his children and feels
confused about what to do. He may also feel that he is not respected
within the family.
These traditional stereotypes are now clashing with another image of a
father:
The Caregiver: This father tries to
combine toughness with tenderness. He enjoys his children but is not
afraid to set firm but fair limits. He and his wife may cooperate in
childrearing and homemaking.
This type of father has always been around. But the number of men who
choose this role is increasing. Many fathers today recognize that family
life can be rewarding and that their children need their involvement.
This shift in roles is influenced by two major social changes: the
increase in the number of women working and the rising divorce rate. As
more and more mothers join the work force, fathers are being asked to take
on more responsibilities at home. In 1979, 40 percent of the mothers of
children under age 3 were employed.[2] Instead of remaining on the fringe
of family life, many fathers are helping more with child care and
housekeeping.
Fathers are also profoundly influenced by the escalating divorce rate.[3]
For every two marriages there is now one divorce - a tripling of the
divorce rate between 1960 and 1980. If they are not directly involved in a
divorce, most men have friends who are. They witness the loss their
friends have experienced and reexamine the importance of their own family
relationships. Remarriage and stepfathering are also creating new
challenges for many fathers.
Because of these changes in our society, many men are being forced to
develop family relationships that are quite different from those they had
with their own fathers. They cannot easily fall back on their own
childhood experiences for guidance. What worked very well for their
fathers 20 or 30 years ago may not work at all with the kinds of
challenges fathers face today.
These changes in social attitudes mean that men have more options for
meeting their obligations as fathers and husbands. Some men will express
their feelings more openly, while others will be more reserved; some will
enjoy the companionship and play of very young children, while others will
prefer involvement with older sons and daughters. Fathers do not have to
try to fit a certain stereotyped pattern.
According to sociologist Lewis Yablonsky, a man's fathering style is
influenced by some or all of the following forces: his enthusiasm for
being a father, his own father's behavior, the images of how to be a
father projected by the mass media, his occupation, his temperament, the
way family members relate to each other, and the number of children he
has.[4] No single style of fathering or mothering, no matter how ideal it
appears, is right for everyone.
Regardless of their personal style, most fathers are interested in having
a satisfying relationship with their children. Although they might not be
able to put it into words, most fathers know they are important to their
children. According to psychotherapist Will Schutz, a good relationship
needs three things: involvement, respect and influence, and affection.[5]
Involvement: The Foundation of a
Relationship
The first step in any relationship is the
feeling by both persons that the other is interested in them and wants to
be with them.
Many fathers begin to prepare for this kind of relationship before their
child is even born. A father who seeks involvement is interested in his
wife's pregnancy and makes preparations for the child's birth. When the
child is born he is eager to hold the infant. In countless small ways,
this father demonstrates involvement - he may gently touch and play with
his children, hold and talk to them. By doing these things he sends a
clear and emphatic message:
I want to be your father. I am interested in you. I enjoy being with you.
You and I have a relationship that is important to me.
Every child wants to sense this type of involvement from his or her father
and mother. Without it, a child feels isolated and rejected. The
foundation of the relationship crumbles.
What the Research Shows
Research on father-child involvement
demonstrates that [6]:
(1) Fathers are significant for children;
(2) Fathers are sensitive to children;
(3) Fathers play with children differently than mothers do.
These differences in play continue as the child grows older. Fathers may
vigorously bounce and lift a 1- or 2-year-old in rough and tumble physical
play; mothers may prefer to play conventional games like
"peek-a-boo," offer an interesting toy, or read. Fathers' play
appears to be more physically stimulating while mothers are more
interested in teaching.
As a result, children seem to prefer fathers as play partners, though in a
stressful situation they may be more likely to turn to their mothers. This
preference could be due to fathers spending a greater proportion of their
time playing with their children than mothers. One researcher noted that
about 40 percent of a father's time with his young children was spent in
play in contrast to about 25 percent of the mother's time. Even though
fathers may spend less total time in play than mothers, their type of play
and their apparent interest in that type of involvement make them
attractive play partners.
There are, of course, exceptions to this pattern. Some men simply do not
enjoy playing with children, and some mothers may prefer an arousing,
physical form of child play. Also, when both parents work, the additional
demands on the family could affect the amount of time one or both parents
spend enjoying their children.
Suggestions for Fathers
How can fathers become more involved with
their children? First, they can give each of their children exclusive
attention as often as possible. During their time together fathers could
enjoy their children's company without allowing outside distractions to
interfere. As a result, their children would feel noticed and special.
There is no single formula for how this might be accomplished. A father
and child might play, talk, learn a skill or read together. What is
important is that they notice each other and acknowledge a common
interest. This type of undistracted attention promotes a sense that each
is important to the other.
Fathers might also give their children a glimpse of their work world.
Children want to know what life is like outside the home and what their
parents do at work. Many farm families and small businesses include their
children in the operation at an early age. Parents in other occupations
may find it more difficult to give their children a glimpse of their work,
but even brief visits or tours will help. Business and industry are
gradually beginning to acknowledge that many workers are parents too, and
that adjustment in this role can have a positive effect on work
performance. Some industries provide day care centers for children of
their employees. Both mothers and fathers are able to visit their children
during breaks.
Influence. Building the Relationship
Once involvement is established in a
relationship, influence is the next step. Each person wants to feel that
what he or she says or wants is important to the other. Each wants to be
listened to and included in discussions and decisions. This sense of
personal power promotes feelings of self-worth and respect for the other
person.
Influence is an important issue in parent-child relationships. Fathers as
well as mothers want their children to listen to them and to obey their
limits. Occasionally parents have to exert control over their children's
behavior. They may allow no debate over whether a child can stick gum on
furniture, play with matches, or sit on the car while someone is
underneath changing the oil.
While parents have to be reasonably firm at times, there are occasions
when they might yield to their children's wishes and grant permission for
safe, enjoyable activities. Giving children privacy, letting them choose
their own clothes, and allowing them to make their own purchases with
their allowances are examples of giving influence to children.
When they show respect for their children's wishes but also set and
maintain reasonable limits, parents send another clear and emphatic
message:
I care enough about you to provide you with the guidance you must have
to grow up to be a happy and responsible person. I will use my strength
to protect and nurture you. But I am also interested in what you think
is important for yourself. I will gradually let you make more and more
decisions on your own so that by the time you reach adulthood, you will
be able to care fully for yourself. I respect you, and I know I am
worthy of your respect.
Children want their parents to be strong. They need to feel protected from
a sometimes threatening world and from their own immaturity and loss of
control. But they do not want to be overwhelmed by their parents'
dominance. For their own self-respect, children need a measure of personal
influence
What the Research Shows
Research on father-child influence
demonstrates that:
(1) Children typically have viewed fathers as more rigid, threatening, and
demanding than mothers.
(2) Fathers usually are stricter than mothers and more likely to punish
children, but mothers may use a wider variety of punishments.
(3) Mothers who take authority in decision-making in the home seem to have
a marked effect on boys, lowering their sons' tendency to imitate their
fathers and thus their masculine orientation. Father-dominance, on the
other hand, does not lower the femininity of girls.
(4) Fathers' involvement in setting limits and making decisions increases
their influence in the family, especially with their sons.
(5) Moral judgment is at a low level in boys and girls who view their
father's control as overly dominant.
(6) Children may experience personal problems and difficulty in school if
they are frequently dominated and punished by their fathers.
(7) Delinquent boys are likely to have fathers who are controlling, rigid,
and prone to alcoholism. These fathers may use physical punishment as a
form of discipline, and they tend to be inconsistent and erratic in their
childrearing techniques.
Suggestions for Fathers
Children both admire and fear their
father's strength. On one hand they want their father to be strong and
powerful (in the sense of being self-confident and determined) but they
may also be frightened at times by that power. Walking the middle ground
between dominance and permissiveness can sometimes be difficult for a
father.
How can fathers establish a sense of influence? First, they can establish
and maintain reasonable limits for their children.[7] Children respect
parents who provide firm but gentle guidance. But they also benefit from
parents who gradually allow them to make decisions on their own.
Fathers could also be responsive to their children's interests. Instead of
always telling them what to do, fathers could listen and be responsive to
their children's suggestions whenever possible. When shopping, for
example, a father might let his 5-year-old choose one or two stores to
visit. Similarly, a father might ask his son or daughter to suggest a game
to play or a movie to see.
There are times, though, when children do not have these kinds of choices.
Parents often have to have the final word. The goal might be to achieve an
appropriate balance of influence in the relationship.
Affection: The Relationship Deepens
When people feel accepted and respected in
a relationship, they will begin to develop close feelings of mutual
affection. Parents who are never involved with their children and are
either too permissive or too dominant are not likely to become close to
their children. Fathers who expect to be constantly vigilant
disciplinarians who show no tenderness create a climate of coldness that
puts distance in their relationships. Sometimes the effect can be painful.
Following a presentation to a community group, the speaker was approached
by a man who wanted to ask a question about his adult son. He said that he
and his boy had never been close. He was, in his words, the typical busy
father who disciplined his kids but didn't show them much affection. Not
long ago he suffered a heart attack and was not expected to live. When his
son visited him in the hospital room they experienced a moment of intimacy
that the father found deeply rewarding. For the first time in their lives
both men expressed their love for each other. The words, "I love you,
Dad" meant a great deal to this very sick father. Following his
recovery, however, he realized he was gradually slipping back into his old
patterns of coldness and isolation.
"How can we tell each other about our good feelings?" he asked.
The threat of death made this man more aware of the emptiness that existed
between him and his son. He was struggling with the idea that although
change would be difficult there was hope if he was willing to take risks
and make the effort.
By expressing affection through words and deeds, parents send another
clear and emphatic message to their children:
I want to be close to you; I love you. You are special to me. I am willing
to share myself so you can get to know me better. You give me joy.
In our closest relationships we seek these bonds of affection. Talking
about these feelings has traditionally been easier for women than for men,
but, like the father in the previous example, men are beginning to
acknowledge the importance of intimacy and affection. They also are more
willing to express the softer, gentler side of themselves.
What the Research Shows
Research on father-child affection
demonstrates that:
(1) Generosity in preschool boys was more likely when they viewed their
fathers as nurturant, affectionate, and comforting.
(2) Altruism in children grades 3 to 6 was more likely when their fathers
participated in caring for them during infancy.
(3) Loving fathers who provide reasonable, firm guidance without
arbitrarily imposing their will promote competence in their children.
Unloving, punitive, authoritarian fathers tend to produce dependent,
withdrawn, anxious, and dejected children.
(4) Warm, accepting fathers tend to have children with high self-esteem.
Alienated adolescents view their parents as hostile and nonaccepting.
(5) Warm, affectionate fathers influence the development of their
children's sex-role behavior; they also have a positive influence on
achievement and peer popularity in boys and personal adjustment in girls.
(6) Adolescent daughters recalled less affection and support from their
fathers than the fathers recalled expressing. Daughters wished they had
received, and fathers wished they had given, more affection and
support.[8]
(7) Adolescent boys who thought they were similar to their fathers were
likely to be popular with their peers.
(8) Adolescent boys were more likely to be similar to their fathers when
the fathers were perceived as rewarding, gratifying, and understanding.
These same boys usually scored high on the masculinity scale of the
questionnaire.
(9) Mothers are more interested in the nursing and care of newborns when
fathers are emotionally supportive.
Suggestions for Fathers
A parent-child relationship might be
compared to a bank account. Every negative act - a frown, a slap, a
"no" or "I'm busy" - is like a withdrawal from the
account. In contrast, affectionate, caring actions are like deposits in
the relationship account. If the withdrawals exceed the deposits, the
relationship breaks down into mutual distrust and isolation - it becomes
bankrupt. Fathers who have to make a large number of withdrawals can do so
if their deposits of warmth, support and nurturance are high enough.
Fathers can be both tough when necessary and tender when needed.
Tenderness can be difficult for some fathers because of its association
with sexuality. One expectant father was concerned that he could have
difficulty expressing affection if he had a son. He thought he might feel
uncomfortable kissing and hugging a little boy. As it turned out, a son
was born and he and his father are affectionate and close. The new father
felt no hesitancy about expressing his feelings. Some fathers may become
uncomfortable with expressing affection to adolescent daughters. This
unfortunate association of affection with sexuality can deprive people of
the closeness they deeply need in their relationships.
There are many ways in which men can express their affection for their
children. Some may feel comfortable talking with their children. Others
may let their actions reveal their feelings. Some expressions, like
hugging, are obvious while others, like quiet self-sacrifice, are more
subtle. There is a danger in letting our actions speak for themselves:
subtle forms of affection can easily be overlooked or misinterpreted.
Words can enrich what we do by making our actions more easily understood
by others. Children sometimes need to hear their father say "I love
you" to fully appreciate what he does for them. On the other hand,
words not backed by action may sound hollow and false. Every father will
develop his own style of showing affection in his relationships with
others in his family.
Few events will change a man's life as much as becoming a father. Being a
father can be both frightening and frustrating. For many fathers, nothing
makes them more angry than a defiant, stubborn child. Being entrusted with
the responsibility for the care of another person can be an awesome task.
But the opposite can also be true. Nothing may give a father more pleasure
than to see his children gradually grow into adulthood, to have his
affection returned in good measure and to have his deepest feelings of
self-worth confirmed. Regardless of the mask they sometimes wear, whether
it be one of casual aloofness or macho toughness, fathers' feelings for
and about their children run deep. Fathers care.
REFERENCES
1. The Gallup Organization, "American
Families - 1980," Princeton, New Jersey.
2. U.S. Department of Labor, "Working Mothers and Their
Children," Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1979.
3. U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, "Current
Population Reports," October 1981.
4. Lewis Yablonsky, Fathers and Sons (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1982).
5. William Schutz, Profound Simplicity (New York: Bantam Books, 1979).
6. The research conclusions identified in this publication were selected
from the following books: Michael Lamb, The Role of the Father in Child
Development (New York: John Wiley, 1981); David B. Lynn, The Father: His
Role in Child Development (Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole, 1974); Ross D. Parke,
Fathers (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1981).
7. Charles A. Smith, Effective Discipline (Manhattan, KS: Cooperative
Extension Service, 1979/1980). Ask for publication numbers C-604, C-604a
and C-621.
8. My thanks to Dorothy Martin, Extension Family Life Specialist in
Colorado, for sharing the results of her study titled, "The
Expressive Domain of the Father - Adolescent Daughter Relationship Defined
by Their Perceptions and Desires." Available from Dissertation
Abstracts International, Vol. XXXIX, Number 11, 1979.
Reprinted with permission from the National
Network for Child Care - NNCC. Smith, C. A. (1982). *Father's care*.
[Extension Publication L-650] Manhattan, KS. Kansas State University
Cooperative Extension Service. |
