The roles were well-defined, and they rarely crossed. Since Mom took care of the kids, Levine explains, it didn t matter whether Dad was around or not. And many dads are not around. Today, Levine says, nearly 25 percent of all children grow up in fatherless homes. And 40 percent of them haven t seen their dads for at least a year.
Communication isn t that much better even when dad is home.
The men s movement which looks at societal expectations of men is getting out the word that fathers do matter, and they perform a very different role than mothers. Fatherhood is unique and irreplaceable, Horn says. Fathers are different than moms, and they tend to approach their world differently. From studies, we know that fathers tend to be more physical in their interaction with kids, mothers more verbal. This teaches them self-regulation.