Fathers’ Warm & Responsive Parenting Supports Child Mental Health

7 June

Written By Heidi .

How can fathers be warm and responsive in their parenting?

Fathers’ can display warmth and responsiveness through a variety of activities
being affectionate towards their child (e.g. hugging, kissing)
telling their child that they’re loved
speaking to their child in a warm and friendly voice
telling their child that they, and their ideas and actions, are appreciated
noticing and saying positive things about their child
listening to their child’s feelings and trying to understand them
recognising and responding to their child’s needs and signals
laughing with their child
asking their child about important matters

For more information continue reading: https://d2p3kdr0nr4o3z.cloudfront.net/content/uploads/2024/02/29130338/fathers-warm-and-responsive-parenting-CMH.pdf

How can fathers’ approaches to setting limits and managing behaviour support child mental health?

Setting limits and managing child behaviour is something that almost all parents and caregivers will do. Their chosen approach can have different impacts on child mental health. Although few studies on setting limits and managing behaviour have examined fathers specifically, the available evidence suggests that children’s mental health is improved when fathers employ certain approaches. These are:

balancing setting limits with granting child autonomy
using nonphysical discipline
consistently setting clear expectations and limits with their children.

If fathers are overly restrictive or cautious, or if they use harsh or physical discipline, their children are more likely to have poorer mental health.

For more information continue reading: https://d2p3kdr0nr4o3z.cloudfront.net/content/uploads/2024/02/29134119/how-fathers-setting-limits-and-managing-behaviour.pdf

Fathers can positively influence children’s mental health through play

Rough and tumble play (wrestling, grappling, kicking and tumbling in a playful context)

Impacts on child mental health:

Increased social competence, e.g. social skills
Increased emotional skills, e.g. emotional regulation
Increased self-regulation, e.g. attention regulation
Decreased behavioural difficulties
Decreased emotional difficulties

Creative play (art, music, storytelling)

Impacts on child mental health:

Increased emotion regulation
Increased prosocial behaviour
Decreased behavioural difficulties
Decreased aggression

Toy play (interacting with a toy)

Impacts on child mental health:

Increased emotional regulation
Increased prosocial behaviour

Structuring or guiding play (guiding the children’s play, such as getting a child to follow directions or rules as in a board game)

Impacts on child mental health:

Increased infant cognitive development
Increased infant language development

Active play (indoor toys, sports, playground)

Increased child prosocial behaviour
Increased social competence

For more information continue reading: https://d2p3kdr0nr4o3z.cloudfront.net/content/uploads/2024/02/29093541/How-fathers-positively-influence-cmh-through-play.pdf

Fathers’ Positive Engagement Activities Decreases Child Behavioural Difficulties

Overall, the evidence suggests that fathers’ participation in positive engagement activities supports child mental health and in particular it has been associated with decreasing child behavioural difficulties.

There are a variety of positive engagement activities that fathers can engage in with their children: