A new study suggests active participation by the father in
child-raising activities improves academic performance and
behavior in the kids. Concordia University researchers have
studied how fathers can positively influence the development of
their kids through hands-on parenting over many years. “Fathers
make important contributions in the development of their
children’s behavior and intelligence,” said Erin Pougnet, a
Ph.D. candidate in the Concordia University Department of
Psychology. “Compared with other children with absentee dads,
kids whose fathers were active parents in early and middle
childhood had fewer behavior problems and higher intellectual
abilities as they grew older — even among socioeconomically at-
risk families.” “Regardless of whether fathers lived with their
children, their ability to set appropriate limits and structure
their children’s behavior positively influenced problem-solving
and decreased emotional problems, such as sadness, social
withdrawal and anxiety,” said Pougnet. In the s