Fathers are important to the well-being of children for several reasons. First, mothers and fathers, in some important ways, parent differently. Beginning with the birth of a child, mothers, for example, tend to be more verbal with their children, whereas fathers are more physical. Mothers tend to talk more to their infants and to sing songs to them.
Fathers like to roll around with their infants on the floor.
Mothers and fathers also tend to play differently with children. The play of fathers tends to be surprising and unpredictable, whereas mothers tend to stick with calm, familiar routines. Babies notice the difference. In contrast, when babies see their mom approach, they tend to relax their shoulders and lower their eyelids, expecting a more soothing interaction. Another area in which moms and dads differ is in the amount of risk-taking they encourage.