Dad's gentle touch goes a long way

Dad's gentle touch goes a long way

While there has been a great deal research into the mother-child bond only recently has research focused on the father-child bond and how that “IT is the gentle touch that can echo throughout a child's life and his own” (Power, 2012). Research conducted by Dion Khlentzos from the Univeristy of Western Sydney shows “a father's bond with his child can have significant impacts on his health, happiness and family life”. Drawing from both personal and observed experience I fully agree with this idea and not only enjoy a strong bond with my own father but also of that with my own son. We all know those friends (or may in fact be that person) that lacked that bond with their fathers and while they may not understand what they are missing, those around them can see a difference in their interaction with other people, in particular other males. To quote Cat Stevens “my boy was just like me”, sons are like their fathers, if they lack a strong bond between each other there is a strong likely hood that those sons will then go on and may struggle to form strong bonds with their children.

While it is easy and in some part necessary (men can’t breast feed) to allow mothers to play a primary role in early childhood, fathers must make a conscious effort to be involved right from the beginning so that they are able to start forming these ever important bonds with their children.

These benefits of establishing and maintaining these bonds between fathers and their children may also have direct benefits for the fathers themselves, Khlentzos states that “the quality of a man's relationship with his children affects the dad's health”.  So even the most self-centred dads may find a personal reason to form these bonds: their own health! 

Obviously human relationships are complex in nature, and the parent-child relationship is no different. These relationships are not formed in isolation and take part within the structure of other wider relationships (family, community etc) and are also dynamic and ever-changing in nature. The researchers sum in up perfectly by stating that "It is therefore important to understand how men are able to establish emotional connections with their kids”.

 I for one will be following this research with interest…I even participated in it!

REFERENCES

Power, L. (2012). Dad's gentle touch goes a long way. Retrieved October 19, 2012, from http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sydney-news/dads-gentle-touch-goes-a-long-way/story-e6freuzi-1226494721638