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(Ivanhoe Newswire) A pat on the back may be all a new father needs to get more involved in his babys life. A new study shows new dads who are given positive feedback and encouragement play a bigger role in child care.
According to Ohio State researchers who studied 97 couples with a new baby, maternal gate keeping makes a big difference in the way fathers interact with their children.
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The investigators first surveyed the couples before the baby was born, asking what role they thought fathers should play in child care. In-home assessments took place when the infants were about three months old. Both moms and dads were questioned about the mothers gate keeping behaviors, such as whether she provided the dad with encouragement or criticism about his child care abilities. Couples were also videotaped as they worked together to change the babys clothes. Researches wanted to see who did what and how the moms interacted with the dads.
Results showed dads were more likely to be involved in daily child care if they were actively encouraged by moms and regularly praised for their skills. The finding held true despite whether or not the mother worked outside of the home.
The authors of the study arent sure whether encouraging moms resulted in more involved dads, or whether more involved dads result in more encouraging moms. However, they speculate its a little of both. Still, they believe moms are mostly in control when it comes to child care, and dads will take their cues accordingly.
Mothers are still considered the primary caregivers for children in our society, so they likely have a larger effect, study author Sarah Schoppe-Sullivan was quoted as saying.
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SOURCE: Journal of Family Psychology, published online June 1, 2008
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
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