Father involvement and its benefits for children

It can be difficult for a father in Georgia to remain involved with his children when they live apart from one another after a divorce. Nevertheless, a father can still communicate his love and concern for his children through phone calls and letters even if he is not in close physical proximity to them. This is a good thing, because research shows that children can benefit in varied and significant ways from their father’s involvement in their life.

According to the University of Texas, children with involved fathers are more likely to experience positive social and educational outcomes. They are 80% less likely to spend time in jail, 45% less likely to repeat a grade and 60% less likely to face suspension or expulsion. At the same time, children with involved fathers are two times more likely to go to college after graduation from high school and eventually find stable employment, and their chances of earning mostly A’s in school improve by 39%.

Research also suggests that the involvement of a father affects boys and girls in particular ways. Fatherly reports that daughters of disengaged fathers may learn not to expect long-term commitments from men. Conversely, when fathers become meaningfully involved in their children’s lives, their daughters tend to take fewer sexual risks and are 75% less likely to experience teen pregnancy. As for boys, those with absent or uninvolved fathers tend to be lacking in social skills and have difficulty forging relationships with others later in life.

A father’s involvement can make a difference even from a very early age. Several studies show that toddlers earn higher cognition scores if their fathers spent a good deal of time engaging with them during infancy.