Dads are a wronged lot. They endure late night diaper duties, help the kids with homework, take them out for ice creams even as moms disapprove and play mediator between warring siblings. Yet the volume of paeans and poems extolling the virtues of the dads are much lesser in comparison to those of moms! But there’s more to dads than being just the bread winners. A strong and kind father figure plays a big role in the child psychological and emotional well-being. On Father’s Day 2018, let’s look at all the ways in which our dads make our lives complete.

1 Emotional Security

Children who have an involved father in their lives are more likely to have a healthy emotional life. They are more likely to be secure, confident and have better social connection with their peers. They are also more likely to be well-behaved at home and outside. Infants who have received a lot of affection from their fathers, (fathers who respond to their cries and play with them) are also more secure than those who don’t. A study also states that children with involved fathers are less likely to be depressed.

2 Higher IQs and Better Academic Performance

An involved dad helps in improving the educational outcomes of his child. Many studies suggest that fathers who are a big part of their little ones’ lives help in improving their children’s IQ, linguistic abilities and cognitive capacities. Toddlers with a strong father figure are better prepared academically and can handle stress and frustration better than children with less involved dads.

3 Better Economic Status

When there is a strong father figure in the child’s life, they do well economically. A 2004 survey published in the Journal of Economic Psychology shows that children who had the involvement of both the parents in their lives were less likely to rely on welfare. It means that they do much better economically than children who experience an absence of father figures in their lives.

4 Better Social Skills

Fathers generally play with their children, which impacts their emotional and social development. Studies show that fathers who have a better one-on-one interaction with their infants and pre-schoolers, learn how to regulate their feelings and behaviour. Mock fights that dads play with their children also help little ones in understanding aggressive impulses and the importance of physical contact without losing control of their emotions.

5  Independence

While mothers stress on nurturing, dads focus on pushing children to achieve. By doing so, fathers tend to help their children be more independent and open to exploring the outside world. They show good self-control and exhibit pro-social behaviour.

6 Health

The presence of an involved father in raising the child has a positive effect on the child’s health. Increased involvement of the father in the child’s life has been shown to reduce the risk of obesity. Data from a study showed that bathing and dressing the child, taking the child out for walks and engaging in playtime were linked to a decreased likelihood for obesity.

Fathers are more than just the second fiddle to mothers. Our dad is our very first hero, our fortress strength and a fountain of love. His steadfast support and protection helped us be the adults we are today. This Father’s Day, let’s thank him for all the emotional and health benefits his presence gave us.

(Reference: The Importance of Fathers in the Healthy Development of Children)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 14, 2018 07:19 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).