I personally did not grow up having a father in my life, but i know this day is important to many. It is cool to have sons who become fathers! It really did not make me sad because I never had a dad, so it’s hard to miss something you never had. I have gathered some facts and information about not having a father present in childhood! I hope everyone has a great Father’s Day!

A Father’s Impact on Child Development

There are so many advantages that are afforded to children who have active, involved fathers during childhood and adolescence.
The Fatherhood Project, a non-profit fatherhood program seeking to improve the health and well-being of children and families by empowering fathers to be knowledgeable, active, and emotionally supportive with their children, researched the specific benefits of father engagement during the childhood development stages.

10 Facts About Father Engagement

1. Fathers and infants can be equally attached as mothers and infants. When both parents are involved with the child, infants are attached to both parents from the beginning of life.

2. Father involvement is related to positive child health outcomes in infants, such as improved weight gain in preterm infants and improved breastfeeding rates.

3. Father involvement using authoritative parenting (loving and with clear boundaries and expectations) leads to better emotional, academic, social, and behavioral outcomes for children.

4. Children who feel a closeness to their father are: twice as likely as those who do not to enter college or find stable employment after high school, 75% less likely to have a teen birth; 80% less likely to be incarcerated; and half as likely to experience depression symptoms.

5. Fathers occupy a critical role in child development.

6. Father absence hinders development from early infancy through childhood and into adulthood. The psychological harm of father absence experienced during childhood persists throughout the life course
The quality of father-child involvement matters more than the number of hours spent together. Non-resident fathers can have positive effects on children’s social and emotional well-being, as well as academic achievement and behavioral issues.

7. High levels of father involvement are correlated with higher levels of sociability, confidence, and self-control in children. Children with fathers present are less likely to act out in school or engage in risky behaviors in adolescence.

8. Children with actively involved fathers are: 43% more likely to earn A’s in school and 33% less likely to repeat a grade than those without dads.

9. Father engagement reduces the rate of behavioral problems in boys while also decreasing delinquency and economic disadvantage in low-income families.

10. Father engagement reduces psychological problems and rates of depression in young women.
Overall, the impact that fathers and father figures can make is substantial. Just as there are many positive aspects to father involvement, the effects of father absence can be detrimental as well.

Father Absence

According to the 2007 UNICEF report on the well-being of children in economically advanced nations, children in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. rank extremely low in regard to social and emotional well-being in particular. Many theories have been explored to explain the poor state of our nation’s’ children. However, a factor that has been largely ignored, particularly among child and family policymakers, is the prevalence and devastating effects of father absence in children’s lives. For starters, studies repeatedly show that children without dads positively present in the home suffer greatly. Even before a child is born, their father’s attitudes regarding the pregnancy, behaviors during the prenatal period, and the relationship between their father and mother may indirectly influence the risk of negative birth outcomes. In early childhood, it is well known that school-aged children with good relationships with their fathers were less likely to be depressed, to have negative behavior, or to lie. Overall, they were far more likely to exhibit prosocial behavior.
In adolescence, the effects of fatherless homes are incredible, as these children are more likely to experience the effects of poverty. Former president George W. Bush even addressed the issue while in office, stating, “Over the past four decades, dads absence from the home has become one of our greatest social problems.It is clear that children who grow up with absent-fathers suffer lasting damage. They are more likely to end up in poverty, drop out of school, become drug addicts, have a child out of wedlock, or end up in prison. Fatherlessness is not the only cause of these things, but our nation must recognize it is an important factor Individuals can attest to the fact that the impact of a father in child’s life cannot be denied. Many would admit that they have struggled with feelings of abandonment and low self-esteem, due to the lack of a father’s love in their lives.  Some have turned to drugs, alcohol, risky sexual activities, unhealthy relationships, or other destructive behaviors to numb the pain of fatherlessness. Although the absence of their father is not an isolated risk factor, it definitely take a toll on their development. This is important to take note of, as many would argue that one parent is more important than the other. That is simply not true. According to Psychology Today, researchers have found these narratives to be true. The results of father absence on children are nothing short of disastrous,

Children’s diminished self-concept, and compromised physical and emotional security (children consistently report feeling alone when their fathers are not involved in their lives, struggling with their emotions and feelings of self-loathing,
Behavioral problems (fatherless children have more difficulties with social adjustment, and are more likely to report problems with friendships, and manifest behavior problems; many develop a, intimidating persona in an attempt to hide their fears, resentments, anxieties and unhappiness)

Truancy and poor academic performance (71 percent of high school dropouts are fatherless; fatherless children have more trouble academically, scoring poorly on tests of reading, mathematics, and thinking skills; children from father absent homes are more likely to miss school, more likely to be excluded from school, more likely to leave school at age 16, and less likely to attain academic and professional qualifications in adulthood)

Delinquency and youth crime, including violent crime (85 percent of youth in prison have an absent father; fatherless children are more likely to offend and go to jail as adults. Risky behaviors and teen pregnancy (fatherless children are more likely to experience problems with sexual health, including a greater likelihood of having intercourse before the age of 16, foregoing contraception during first intercourse, becoming teenage parents, and get sexually transmitted infection; girls create an unhealthy longing for males, and in experiencing the emotional loss of their fathers as a rejection of them, become victims to exploitation by adult men)

Drug and alcohol abuse (fatherless children are more likely to smoke, drink alcohol, and abuse drugs in childhood and adulthood)
Homelessness (90 percent of runaway children have an absent father)
Exploitation and abuse (fatherless children are at greater risk of suffering physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, being five times more likely to have experienced physical abuse and emotional maltreatment, with a one hundred times higher risk of fatal abuse; a recent Physical health problems (fatherless children report significantly more psychosomatic health symptoms and illness such as acute and chronic pain, asthma, headaches, and stomach aches) Mental health disorders (fathers with absent children have more problems with suicide and feeling a connection to others.
Life chances (as adults, fatherless children are more likely to experience unemployment, have low incomes, remain on social assistance, and experience homelessness) reported that preschoolers not living with both of their biological parents are 40 times more likely to be sexually abused) Future relationships (fathers with absent children tend to enter partnerships earlier, are more likely to divorce or dissolve their relationships, and are more likely to have children outside marriage.
Mortality (fatherless children are more likely to die as children, and live an average of four years less over the life span)

Tips for Dads

Dads! It is vital that you make every effort to become actively involved in your child’s life, whether you live in the same home as them or not. Here are some great ways to create healthy, positive engagement with your children.
Speak positively to, and about, their mother. It is so important to be on the same page as their mother about what you desire your role to be and what that will look like. This is especially important in situations where the relationship is severed through divorce or separation. Be clear and respectful, emphasizing your desire to be an involved father to your children. Also, speak positively about her in front of your children! You may have disagreements at times, but your child needs to know that you respect their mother. They are just as much her children as they are theirs! Speaking poorly of their mother will only damage your relationship with them.
Create a vision for fatherhood engagement. Twenty years from now, what do you want your children to say about you as a father? Answering these questions will give you a sense of purpose as a dad and guide you in making important decisions with your own children. How can you get there?

Be the bridge between your own father and your children. Whether or not you look to your father (or mother) as a model for
parenting, the legacy of our parents, for better or for worse, lives inside each of us.This is why it’s important to explore and understand your family legacy, particularly your relationship with your father. How will you pass on the positive aspects of your relationship with your father to your own children? How will you avoid repeating the negative aspects of your relationship with your father?
Establish a ritual for dad time. One way to spend positive time with your child regularly is to create “Ritual Dad Time. This is not meant to replace more frequent rituals like taking your kids to school or reading to them at bedtime. Get together as father/child at least once a month, minimally for at least one to two hours and with only one child at a time (this may be difficult for larger families, but it is essential for building a one-on-one relationship). Choose an activity you both agree on. You may allow your child to choose or alternate who decides. We don’t recommend executive decisions, except in cases of extreme resistance. Make sure you talk during your time together and do not get lost in video games. Using “action talk” (i.e., shooting baskets or board games) is great, but men also need to model face-to-face dialogue for children of all ages. You don’t always need a distraction! Be consistent. The ritual does not have to be on the same day each month, but make sure you show up so your child can count on you. You can make a major difference in the lives of your kids. Get to know each one individually, as they are all different with their own hopes and dreams. Make sure you tell them about yourself, your hopes and dreams, your mistakes, and the lessons you learned. It was always fun when grandma and grandpa got involved in the storytelling! I think it’s hard for kids to think of us as ever being kids like them! I share photos of my children when they were young with my grandson, he thinks they’re funny, but it’s proof! It takes a lot of intentional effort to truly engage with kids. But when you keep at it and break through into their thoughts, it’s amazing what you can learn about them! We here a Joansstory want you to know we think you are awesome and such a valuable part of your kids lives and appreciate your effort, it will truly have a lifelong positive impact!