Discussing the Importance of Fathers and Male Figures in Social Development
1. Discussing the Importance of Fathers and Male Figures in Social Development Presented by: Victoria Scott January 31, 2011
2. On June 19, 2009, the 100th anniversary of Father’s Day, President Obama hosted a town hall on fatherhood.Watch him discuss the vital role fathers play in our nation’s communities and families. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVJXrJhzrcQ
3. “From birth, children who have an involved father or male figure are more likely to be emotionally secure, confident in exploring their surroundings, and have better social connections later in life.” Rosenberg, www.childwelfare.gov
8. Fathers who actively play with their children appear to reinforce the notion of emotional self-control in their children and help their children learn to recognize the emotional cues of others Young children whose fathers are involved in their lives tend to make better, longer-lasting friendships across their lifespan Children raised with responsible fathers tend to get along better with their peers Active fathers have children who score higher in problem-solving tasks and in social situations The link between fathers and social development Ladd, L. “What Fathers Contribute to Child Development”.
9. How will YOU impact a child’s well-being? “Involved fathers bring positive benefits to their children that no other person is as likely to bring” (Rosenberg, www.childwelfare.gov).
10. Provide children with opportunities to play with peers Play with children in a “peer-like” way Talk with children about social relationships and values Take a problem-solving approach Endorse positive, relevant strategies Reflect a positive, resilient attitude toward social setbacks Intervene when necessary, but let children work out problems themselves when possible Steps youcan take to enhancesocial development
11. Example of playing with your child in a “peer-like” way Parent: Did you see these blocks?Child: Oh, blocks!Parent: What could we do?Child: I know! We could make like, a, uh, a big pen.Parent: A pen! O.K. Here, I'll start here, O.K.?Child: No, no. We gotta start way over here. Move it over here.Parent: Alright, I see, so it won't run into the sofa. Oh, but if I turn the block like this, the pen will be longer. Or should we have it taller?Child: Well, it's gotta be tall, so T-Rex can't jump it.Parent: (Picks up dinosaur: 'lopes' it along floor toward fence.) (In gruff voice) RRRRR.... I'm gonna jump the fence.Child: (Picks up another dinosaur figure, pushes it toward parents dinosaur.) But I'm T-Rex and I've got sharp teeth, so you better not stomp the fence. Here, here's a cow you can eat! (Throws small farm animal toward other dinosaur.)Parent: Chomp, chomp, chomp. Thank you Mr. T-REX. JUST FOR THE SAKE OF FUN!! Mize, J. and Abell, E. “Encouraging Social Skills in Young Children.”
12. Facilitating the social learning process leads to… Positive and safe school environment Resiliency in the face of future crises or other stressful life events Children who seek appropriate and safe avenues for aggression and frustration Children who take personal responsibility National Association of School Psychologists, 2002
13. Will you make the commitment? “Every child needs someone who is ‘crazy about him,’ a person who is steadfastly ‘in love with him,’ and whose heart beats a little faster at his first smile, first steps and first words” (Katz, pg. 13).
14. Your involvement can significantly effect your child’s social development Modeling positive adult male behavior Making choices that promote positive moral values and the development of conscience Providing emotional support Modeling empathy Exhibiting self-control
15. Click the screen above This is the Most Important Thing You Will Ever Do…
16. Resources for Fathers & Male Figures For Fathers U.S. Department of Health & Human Services: Promoting Responsible Fatherhoodhttp://fatherhood.hhs.gov/index.shtml National Center for Fathering http://www.fathers.com/ National Fatherhood Initiative http://www.fatherhood.org/ National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse http://fatherhood.gov/ Fathers Network: Supporting Fathers and Families Raising Children with Special Needs http://www.fathersnetwork.org/ For Male Figures/Mentors Big Brothers Big Sisters www.bbbsa.org National Mentoring Partnership http://www.mentoring.org/ For Educators/Community Partners NAEYC Article: Involving Fathers http://tyc.naeyc.org/articles/pdf/InvolvingFathers.pdf
17. Children’s books featuring fathers and other important male figures Books to Share with Children A Day with Dad, by Bo R. Holmberg. Illus. by Eva Eriksson. 2008. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. Daddy Makes the Best Spaghetti, by Anna Grossnickle Hines. 1999. New York: Clarion. The Family Book, by Todd Parr. 2003. New York: Little, Brown In Daddy’s Arms I Am Tall: African Americans Celebrating Fathers, by Javaka Steptoe. 1997. New York: Lee and Low Books. Grandpa, by D. Bailey. 1994. Talk-About-Book series. Toronto, ON: Annick. If I were your father, by Park-Bridges, M. 1999. New York: Morrow Junior. Taken from NAEYC Children’s Books about Families And Children’s Books Featuring Fathers, Grandfathers, and Other Men in the Lives of Children
18. "Fathers represent a potentially valuable and frequently untapped resource within the family. They bring their own style of nurturing to the parent/child relationship; one that adds diversity and richness to the child’s emotional, social, and physical development." Brett Chun, Father and LCSW http://www.fathersnetwork.org/568.html Questions & Comments
19. Resources Rosenberg, J. & Wilcox, W. “Fathers and their impact on children’s well-being.” Office on Child Abuse and Neglect, U.S. Children’s Bureau, 2006. http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/usermanuals/fatherhood/chaptertwo.cfm National Association for the Education of Young Children. “Children’s books about families.” http://www.naeyc.org/files/tyc/file/Childrensbooksaboutfamilies.pdf National Association for the Education of Young Children. “Children’s books featuring fathers, grandfathers, and other men in the lives of children.” http://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/200211/ChildrenBooks.pdf National Association of School Psychologists. “Social skills: Promoting positive behavior, academic success, and school safety.” 2002. http://www.nasponline.org/resources/factsheets/socialskills_fs.aspx Mize, J. & Abell, E. “Encouraging social skills in young children: Tips teachers can share with parents.” http://www.humsci.auburn.edu/parent/socialskills.html “President Obama discusses the importance of fathers.” June 19, 2009. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVJXrJhzrcQ. Texas Agri-Life Extension Service. “What fathers contribute to social development.” http://fcs.tamu.edu/families/parenting/fathering/fathering_pdf/development.pdf Katz, L.G. & McClellan, D.E. (1997). Fostering children’s social competence: The teacher’s role. NAEYC Publications. U.S. Department of Education & National Center for Fathering. “A call to commitment: Father’s involvement in children’s learning.” 2000. http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/parents/calltocommit/fathers.pdf National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse. “Message from President Obama.” http://fatherhood.gov/media/265/5
