Role of Fathers in Child Development

Role of Fathers in the Moral Development of Children

On 27th August 2012, in Leadership Magazine it was reported that fathers matters most in the moral development of children. The article cited several examples from UK related to contribution of presence of a father in child's moral development in order to emphasize on the positive role fathers can effectively play and make a difference in the lives of their children. The article also goes against the notion of bringing up children as an exclusive duty and responsibility of a mother which is present in most societies of the world. The role father plays is as important and significant as the role of mother in the learning and development of a child, especially their moral development. The article cited a research study that was conducted in a local school in Yorkshire County which found that children whose fathers are involved in their personal and academic lives are more academic and social aptitude as compared to children who either don't have a father or they have little or no relationship with their fathers. The love of a father is as crucial to child's moral and emotional development as the love of a mother, the research study concluded. In another research study in UK, it was revealed that father's love is one of the greatest influences on the development of a child's personality. This article was briefly discussed in “The 5 O'clock Show” that airs on Channel 4 and discusses recently social and political development all over the UK. The main focus of the discussion was the tendency and focus of psychological studies in the area of child's moral and emotional development on the relationship between a child and his/her mother and how this article may help to break the stereotype that only mothers can effectively bring up children and fathers have little or no role to play in this regard. In this article, it is hoped that fathers after reading this article will come to realize the vital, exceptional and developmental role they can play in guiding and nurturing their moral and emotional development that will eventually affect the whole society in the long run. The sense of right and wrong, if instilled in the early stages of child development, always bounces back and strikes strongly whenever situation calls for it (Isenberg & Jalongo, 2003).

The psychologist who was invited in “The 5 O'clock Show” to give her comments on the news said that she has been advocating this important issue for a long time and now fortunately it has made into news and hopefully people will change their ways of thinking and doing things after learning this phenomenon. The article in the leadership magazine also reported a survey on the subject who reveals that a lot of people agree that the stature and role of a father can be just as influential, positive, nurturing and sensitive with the children as the stature and role of a ...