What Every Young Father Needs to Hear.
Welcome to Podcast Episode 225
I’ve been thinking about modern fatherhood and young Fathers these days since a good friend just had a new baby and is busy juggling three kids, shared caring responsibilities, and a traditionally masculine job where taking time off for children may not be fully supported.
In fact, as a public health nurse, I’ve noticed the mental, physical, and emotional well-being of young Fathers is frequently left out of the conversation when it comes to the postpartum period and shared parenting of young children.
This got me wondering what information was out there to support a positive experience of fatherhood, in the changing landscape of modern fatherhood, where Fathers are equally involved in caring for children and the household, as well as maintaining jobs and careers. While public health primarily focuses on the wellbeing of Mother and baby in the year after birth, studies find that Fathers also need support in the form of paternity leave to help them bond with the new baby.
From the research…
Recent research highlights the significant impact of children on their fathers’ well-being, challenging traditional notions of masculinity and advocating for supportive policies that empower fathers in their caregiving roles.
Here are some key takeaways for fathers who are seeking to navigate the complexities of modern fatherhood:
- Children play a vital role in enhancing fathers’ health and well-being. Research indicates that children can motivate fathers to adopt healthier habits, such as reducing drug use, losing weight, and driving more carefully [1]. The presence of children encourages fathers to prioritize their health for the long-term benefit of their family [2].
- Contemporary fathers often face tension between societal expectations of being the breadwinner and the desire to be actively engaged in caregiving. While societal expectations may still emphasize men’s financial provider role [3], many fathers express a strong desire to be equally involved in caregiving [4]. This tension can lead to internal conflict and challenges in balancing work and family life [5].
- Fathers may adopt different emotional strategies, such as “emotional bordering,” to navigate the demands of work and family. This involves adjusting their emotional expression based on the social context, such as being more stoic at work and more nurturing at home [6]. This flexibility allows fathers to balance the demands of their professional and personal lives.
- The emotional well-being of fathers is crucial, and societal support is needed to foster their involvement in caregiving. Traditional masculine norms that discourage men from expressing emotions can negatively impact their mental health [7]. Encouraging open emotional expression and providing resources to support fathers’ well-being are essential [8].
- Policy changes, such as increased paternity leave, are needed to support fathers in their caregiving roles. Longer paternity leave is linked to a stronger father-child bond and improved communication [9]. However, the current provisions for paternity leave in many countries remain inadequate to foster involved fathering [10].
- More research is needed to understand the diverse experiences of fathers from various cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. Current research often focuses on Anglo-American perspectives, limiting the understanding of fatherhood in other cultural contexts [11]. Expanding research to include diverse populations will provide a more comprehensive understanding of fatherhood and inform policies that cater to a wider range of families.
References:
Harrington, B. (2022). The New Dad: The Career-Caregiving Conundrum. In M. Grau Grau et al. (Eds.), Engaged Fatherhood for Men, Families and Gender Equality (pp. 197–212). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-75645-1_11
Macht, A. (2022). The Role of Love and Children’s Agency in Improving Fathers’ Wellbeing. In M. Grau Grau et al. (Eds.), Engaged Fatherhood for Men, Families and Gender Equality (pp. 280–296). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-75645-1_16
Ziv, I., Golbez, N., & Shapira, N. (2020). Parental sense of competence, resilience, and empathy in relation fathers’ responses to children’s negative emotions in the context of everyday paternal childrearing decisions. Cogent Psychology, 7(1), 1794681. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311908.2020.1794681
Bosch, M. J., & Las Heras, M. (2022). Small Changes that Make Big Differences for Work-Life Balance: The Case of Reading, Playing, and Eating with Children in Latin America. In M. Grau Grau et al. (Eds.), Engaged Fatherhood for Men, Families and Gender Equality (pp. 244–264). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-75645-1_14
