“Am I the kind of dad you need be to be?” This is the question that psychologist Jeff Cookston suggests fathers should ask their kids from time to time, according to a study featured on ScienceDaily.com.
In an extensive study on fatherhood, Cookston, a psychology professor at San Francisco State University, together with former graduate SF State graduate student Andrea Finlay, found that children tend to interpret their father's actions differently. Daughters see their father's "enduring aspects" as his motivation for doing good deeds, while sons think that dads do good depending on the situation.
“I don't think a lot of parents give these ideas about meaning much thought,” says Cookston. “You may think that you're being a good parent by not being harsh on your kid, for instance, but your child may view that as 'you're not invested in me, you're not trying.'”
This Father’s Day is the perfect opportunity to change that. Cookston suggests fathers to show emotional support, switch up their parenting style, be a team player, and generally do their best to be good dads.
“Kids are actively trying to make sense of the parenting they receive, and the meaning that children take from the parenting may be as important, or more important than the behavior of the parents," he concludes.
(Phot0 by davitydave via Flickr Creative Commons)
