And the findings don't necessarily mean that children who grow up in single-parent homes can't be successful. Whatever the family situation, experts stress that a father or father figure should stay emotionally connected with his kids. A separate study conducted by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development focused on that question. The study was published in the June issue of the Journal of Family Psychology, a journal of the American Psychological Association. Researchers found that how much both parents work plays a role in a father's caregiving activities, as does the man's self-esteem.
Fathers also tend to be more involved with sons than daughters, according to the study.
The researchers followed hundreds of families from 10 cities across the United States. The fathers were interviewed about their caregiving activities like feeding, bathing and changing diapers when their children were between six months old and 3 years old. Some of the fathers were also videotaped playing with their children at age six months and 3 years, to determine their level of sensitivity toward the child. The study found that fathers were more involved in caregiving when they worked fewer hours than other fathers, and when the mothers worked more hours outside the home. More involved fathers were also younger and had higher self-esteem and lower levels of depression and hostility.