Dads matter just as much as moms when it comes to infant development
When it comes to shaping tiny brains, one study found that dad’s involvement during early infancy plays just as vital a role as mom’s does.
According to researchers at Imperial College London, “…babies whose fathers were more engaged and active when playing with them in their initial months performed better in cognitive tests at two years of age”
Researchers saw an increase in test scores for both boys and girls “countering the idea that playtime with dad is more important for boys than girls, at an early age.”
This isn’t the only- or even the first- study to show the importance of “dad and me” time early on. Another one in 2009 by the University of Illinois found exactly the same thing.
Playing with dad may actually improve your kids’ self-control…
A study done in 2020 by the University of Cambridge found that regular playtime with dad can actually improve a child’s overall self-control later in life.
According to the study, dads tend to engage in more physical play, such as piggyback rides. Researchers note that this not only helps kids control their feelings but also makes them better regulators of their overall behavior in school and beyond.
LEGO Foundation’s Dr. Clara Laverty said that the results suggest we need to give dads more of an opportunity to just play with their kids, adding, “Even today, it’s not unusual for fathers who take their child to a parent-toddler group, for example, to find that they are the only father there. A culture shift is beginning to happen, but it needs to happen more.”
…and their academic performance!
According to a fairly recent University of Leeds study (2023), “children do better at primary school if their fathers regularly spend time with them on interactive engagement activities like reading, playing, telling stories, drawing and singing.”
The study looked at 5,000 households and found that “Dads’ involvement impacted positively on their children’s school achievement regardless of the child’s gender, ethnicity, age in the school year and household income.” They also looked at how mom’s involvement in the same activities affected their kids. What’s interesting is that when mom was involved, it had more of an impact on emotional and social behaviors, versus academic achievement. So, if you think about it, moms and dads working together help foster more balance in a child’s life.