How Dads Feel About Fatherhood
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Dads do more and want more
Science tells us fathers make a unique and important contribution to their children’s early development and life-long success. Young children with involved fathers tend to be more patient and better able to handle stress and frustration once they’re in school. Children with involved fathers are less likely to experience depression, obesity, teen pregnancy and more.
ZERO TO THREE’s National Parent Survey asked parents how they feel about fatherhood.
Everyone agrees:
Dads are important and deserve more credit for all they do.
84% of parents believe that children are better off when both parents are involved.
64% of moms and 63% of dads agree that dads don’t get enough credit for their involvement in raising and caring for young children.
Dads love being dads and want to do better
%
Say being a parent is their greatest joy
%
Say being a father is the best job in the world
%
Say their lives began when they became a dad
%
of dads want more information on how to be a better parent
Today’s dads feel more involved and affectionate than their own parents were
When asked to indicate whether they do the following with their kids more, less, or as much as they recall their own parents did with them as children:Â
52% Show more affection
47% Participate in more play and quality time
46% read more to their children
54% say “I love you” more
Still many dads feel shut out
40% would like to be more involved with raising their children but feel their partner interferes with their involvement.
43% think their partners takes too much control of parenting.
References & Sources
- www.zerotothree.org – Data presented here are drawn from an online survey of adults conducted for ZERO TO THREE and the Bezos Family Foundation by SoAct Consulting. an independent research company.Â
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