Discussing the Importance of Fathers and Male Figures in

Social Development

Presented by:Victoria Scott

January 31, 2011

On June 19, 2009, the 100th anniversary of Father’s Day, President Obama hosted a town hall on fatherhood.

Watch him discuss the vital role fathers play in our nation’s communities and families.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVJXrJhzrcQ

“From birth, children who have an involved father or male figure are more likely to be emotionally secure, confident in exploring their surroundings, and have better social connections later in life.”

Rosenberg, www.childwelfare.gov

Connections between fathers and children lead to…

• Increased cognitive ability• Educational achievement• Psychological well-being• Social behavior

Rosenberg, www.childwelfare.gov

The

link

betwee

n fath

ers

and s

ocia

l dev

elop

men

t Fathers who actively play with

their children appear to reinforce the notion of emotional self-control in their children and help their children learn to recognize the emotional cues of others

Young children whose fathers are involved in their lives tend to make better, longer-lasting friendships across their lifespan

Children raised with responsible fathers tend to get along better with their peers

Active fathers have children who score higher in problem-solving tasks and in social situations

Ladd, L. “What Fathers Contribute to Child Development”.

How will YOU impact a child’s well-being?

“Involved fathers bring

positive benefits to

their children that no other person is as

likely to bring”

(Rosenberg, www.childwelfare.gov).

Steps

you

can ta

ke

to e

nhance

socia

l

develo

pment

Provide children with opportunities to play with peers

Play with children in a “peer-like” way

Talk with children about social relationships and values

Take a problem-solving approach

Endorse positive, relevant strategies

Reflect a positive, resilient attitude toward social setbacks

Intervene when necessary, but let children work out problems themselves when possible

Example of playing with your child in a “peer-like” way

Parent: Did you see these blocks?Child: Oh, blocks!Parent: What could we do?Child: I know! We could make like, a, uh, a big pen.Parent: A pen! O.K. Here, I'll start here, O.K.?Child: No, no. We gotta start way over here. Move it over here.Parent: Alright, I see, so it won't run into the sofa. Oh, but if I turn the block like this, the pen will be longer. Or should we have it taller?Child: Well, it's gotta be tall, so T-Rex can't jump it.Parent: (Picks up dinosaur: 'lopes' it along floor toward fence.) (In gruff voice) RRRRR.... I'm gonna jump the fence.Child: (Picks up another dinosaur figure, pushes it toward parents dinosaur.) But I'm T-Rex and I've got sharp teeth, so you better not stomp the fence. Here, here's a cow you can eat! (Throws small farm animal toward other dinosaur.)Parent: Chomp, chomp, chomp. Thank you Mr. T-REX.

JUST FOR THE SAKE OF FUN!!Mize, J. and Abell, E. “Encouraging Social Skills in

Young Children.”

Facilitating the social learning process leads to…

Positive and safe school environmentResiliency in the face of future crises or

other stressful life eventsChildren who seek appropriate and safe

avenues for aggression and frustrationChildren who take personal responsibility

National Association of School Psychologists, 2002

Will you make the commitment?

“Every child needs someone who is ‘crazy about him,’ a person who is steadfastly ‘in love with him,’ and whose heart beats a little faster at his first smile, first steps and first words”(Katz, pg. 13).

Your involvement can significantly effect your child’s social development

Modeling positive adult male behavior

Making choices that promote positive moral values and the development of conscience

Providing emotional support

Modeling empathyExhibiting self-control

This is the Most Important Thing You Will Ever Do…

Click the screen above

Resources for Fathers & Male Figures

For Fathers U.S. Department of Health & Human Services: Promoting Responsible

Fatherhood http://fatherhood.hhs.gov/index.shtml National Center for Fathering http://www.fathers.com/ National Fatherhood Initiative http://www.fatherhood.org/ National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse http://fatherhood.gov/ Fathers Network: Supporting Fathers and Families Raising Children with

Special Needs http://www.fathersnetwork.org/

For Male Figures/Mentors Big Brothers Big Sisters www.bbbsa.org National Mentoring Partnership http://www.mentoring.org/

For Educators/Community Partners NAEYC Article: Involving Fathers

http://tyc.naeyc.org/articles/pdf/InvolvingFathers.pdf

Children’s books featuring fathers and other important male figures

Books to Share with Children A Day with Dad, by Bo R. Holmberg. Illus. by Eva Eriksson. 2008.

Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. Daddy Makes the Best Spaghetti, by Anna Grossnickle Hines. 1999. New

York: Clarion. The Family Book, by Todd Parr. 2003. New York: Little, Brown In Daddy’s Arms I Am Tall: African Americans Celebrating Fathers, by

Javaka Steptoe. 1997. New York: Lee and Low Books. Grandpa, by D. Bailey. 1994. Talk-About-Book series. Toronto, ON: Annick. If I were your father, by Park-Bridges, M. 1999. New York: Morrow Junior.

Taken from NAEYC Children’s Books about FamiliesAnd Children’s Books Featuring Fathers, Grandfathers,

and Other Men in the Lives of Children

Questions & Comments

"Fathers represent a potentially valuable and frequently untapped resource within the family. They

bring their own style of nurturing to the parent/child relationship; one

that adds diversity and richness to the child’s emotional, social, and

physical development." Brett Chun, Father and LCSW

http://www.fathersnetwork.org/568.html

Resources Rosenberg, J. & Wilcox, W. “Fathers and their impact on children’s well-being.” Office on Child

Abuse and Neglect, U.S. Children’s Bureau, 2006. http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/usermanuals/fatherhood/chaptertwo.cfm

National Association for the Education of Young Children. “Children’s books about families.” http://www.naeyc.org/files/tyc/file/Childrensbooksaboutfamilies.pdf

National Association for the Education of Young Children. “Children’s books featuring fathers, grandfathers, and other men in the lives of children.” http://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/200211/ChildrenBooks.pdf

National Association of School Psychologists. “Social skills: Promoting positive behavior, academic success, and school safety.” 2002. http://www.nasponline.org/resources/factsheets/socialskills_fs.aspx

Mize, J. & Abell, E. “Encouraging social skills in young children: Tips teachers can share with parents.” http://www.humsci.auburn.edu/parent/socialskills.html

“President Obama discusses the importance of fathers.” June 19, 2009. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVJXrJhzrcQ .

Texas Agri-Life Extension Service. “What fathers contribute to social development.” http://fcs.tamu.edu/families/parenting/fathering/fathering_pdf/development.pdf

Katz, L.G. & McClellan, D.E. (1997). Fostering children’s social competence: The teacher’s role. NAEYC Publications.

U.S. Department of Education & National Center for Fathering. “A call to commitment: Father’s involvement in children’s learning.” 2000. http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/parents/calltocommit/fathers.pdf

National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse. “Message from President Obama.” http://fatherhood.gov/media/265/5