Addressing the risk factors associated with a lack of a fathers presence in the lives of their children and

exploring the solutions.

THE IMPORTANCE OF FATHERS BEING INVOLVED IN THE LIVES OF THEIR

CHILDREN

MOMS ARE THE BOMB!

What this presentation is not about...

• The importance of moms

• This goes without saying

What this presentation is about…

• The importance of Dads

• Apparently this does NOT go without saying

• Fatherhood gets scant attention

CHILDREN NEED THEIR FATHERS

Our Culture tends to gives scant attention to the important role that fathers play in childhood development.

• We celebrate men for scoring goals and hitting home runs

• We revere men for entertaining us on the big screen and on the stage.

• We idolize men for making money and being players

It’s about time our culture begin to honor men for the most important role of all, Dad!

DAD’S DON’T MOTHER

We do things differently “Generally, interactions with mothers tend to be more

frequent, more directive, and simultaneously more contentious and intimate, whereas interactions with fathers tend to involve more recreation and problem

solving, and to be more goal oriented” (pp. 762).

Unique Influence of Mothers and Fathers on Their Children's Antisocial Behavior Journal of Marriage and Family, Vol. 66, No. 3 (Aug., 2004), pp. 762-778. National Council on Family Relations.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/3600226

DADS DON’T MOTHER

We do things differently • Men tend to interact with their children in different ways

than from there mothers and both types of interaction are important to a childes development.

• When a father is absent, not only does the child not receive that interaction but it makes it more difficult for the mother to have healthy interaction because of the lack of personal time that the dad can give.

• Mothers and fathers complement each other in the role of child development.

DADS DON’T MOTHER

In Other Words…

• Our Children need their Daddy’s too!• For some reason, many of us think that we’re not

important. I got news for you…

• YOU ARE IMPORTANT!!!

WE’VE GOT A PROBLEM According to 2011 U.S. Census Bureau there are…

• 11.8 million single parent households.

• 1.7 million are maintained by single fathers

• 2.6 million children

• 334 thousand homes below poverty level

• 10 million of which are maintained by single mothers

• 17.6 million children

• 3.7 million homes below the poverty level

Families and Living Arrangements: 2011. People and households. Tables C3 and FG5. U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, DC.

http://www.census.gov/hhes/families/data/cps2011.html

WE’VE GOT A PROBLEM Also, according to 2011 U.S. Census Bureau there are…

• 2.9 million children living without either parent

That’s more than 20 million children that don’t live with their fathers.

Families and Living Arrangements: 2011. People and households. Tables C3 and FG5. U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, DC.http://www.census.gov/hhes/families/data/cps2011.html

WHEN THE FATHER IS ABSENT

“Fewer than a third of nonresidential fathers communicate with their offspring once a week or more” (pp.1195)

Postdivorce Father-Adolescent Closeness. Journal of Marriage and Family, Vol. 69, No. 5 (Dec., 2007), pp. 1194-1209. National Council of Family Relations.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/4622521

WHEN THE FATHER IS ABSENT

• Fatherlessness has been linked to higher rates of…

• Childhood Poverty

• Juvenile Delinquency

• Incarceration

• Teen Pregnancy

• Child Abuse

• Drug and Alcohol Abuse

• Poor Educational Performance

• Childhood Obesity

http://www.fatherhood.org/father-absence-statistics

CHILDHOOD POVERTY

CHILDHOOD POVERTY

• According to the U.S. Census Bureau

• Of the 26% of kids living with one parent

• 78.7% live with a single mother

• 36.5% live below the poverty level

• 10.1% live with a single father

• 15.8% live below the poverty line

• 70% of kids live with married parents

• Only 10% live below poverty line

Living Arrangements of Children: 2004. Current Population Reports, P70-114. U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, DC. http://www.census.gov/prod/2008pubs/p70-114.pdf

CHILDHOOD POVERTY

“Children born to unmarried parents are much more likely to be poor and to experience more material hardships than those in two-parent families”

Fathers’ Involvement with their Non resident Children and Material Hardship. Journal of Marriage and Family, Vol. 69, No. 5 (Dec., 2007), pp. 1194- 1209. The University of Chicago Press. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/658394

CHILDHOOD POVERTY

To put that into perspective: as of 2004, more than one in four kids in the US live in a single parent household.

• Making 1 out of 4 children, 4 times more likely to live in poverty than those living with both parents.

WHY DOES FATHERLESSNESS EFFECT POVERTY?

• Two Incomes are better than one!

• The Glass ceiling

• Women have a harder time making finding good paying employment opportunities than men.

• Nearly 80 percent of single parent households are ran by mothers.

• Single parents are less able to be devoted as much time to their careers without secondary support from home.

• Therefore less opportunity to clime the economic latter.

COME ON MEN, LET’S STEP IT UP!

WHEN THE FATHER IS INVOLVED

“Visitation may make the father aware of his child’s needs and may induce him to directly help the mother avoid certain hardships. Informal and in-kind support is often provided when fathers come to see the child” (pp. 6,7)

• In other words, when men spend time with their children, they are far more likely to help out financially and in other ways.

• If they don’t see their children then the opposite is true.

Spend time with your kids!

Fathers’ Involvement with their Non resident Children and Material Hardship. Journal of Marriage and Family, Vol. 69, No. 5 (Dec., 2007), pp. 1194-1209. The University of Chicago Press. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/658394

JUVENILE DELINQUENCY

JUVENILE DELINQUENCY

• Adolescents with absent fathers are more likely to…

• To Face Social Problems

• To Have lower levels of academic achievement

• To participate in delinquent behavior

Father Presence, Family Structure, and Feelings of Closeness to the Father among Adult African American Children. Author(s): Patricia A. Thomas, Edythe M. Krampe and Rae R. Newton. Journal of Black Studies, Vol. 38, No 4. (Mar., 2008) pp. 529- 546. Sage Publications, Inc. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40034420?origin=JSTOR-pdf

POSITIVE OUTCOMES…

• Adolescents with present fathers are… • Less likely to experience negative physiological

outcomes

• Have an increased Self-Esteem

• Higher academic achievement

• Stable peer relationships

• Less likely to participate in deviant behavior

The social impact that a father has in his children’s lives. Journal of Black Studies, Vol. 38, No. 4, Mar. 2008, (pp. 529-546). Sage Publications, Inc.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/40034420?origin=JSTOR-pdf

JUVENILE DELINQUENCY

“A boy needs a father to show him how to be in the world. He needs to be given swagger, taught how to read a map so that he can recognize the roads that lead to life and the paths that lead to death, how to know what love requires, and where to find steel in the heart when life makes demands on us that are greater than we think we can endure.”

Cron , Ian Morgan. Jesus, My Father, The CIA and Me a Memoir of Sorts. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2011. Print.

WHEN FATHERS ARE INVOLVED

Child risk factors decrease when the father retains a close relationship with his children

• “Those who maintained a close relationship with their father had a stronger mother-offspring bond and a greater sense of well-being” (pp.1262)

Postdivorce Father-Adolescent Closeness. Journal of Marriage and Family, Vol. 69, No. 5 (Dec., 2007), pp. 1194-1209. National Council of Family Relations. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4622521

WHEN THE FATHER IS INVOLVED

• Psychological well Being…

• “adult children's perceived closeness to fathers is bound up with several dimensions of their psychological well-being, and these associations are independent of perceived closeness to mothers. (1041)”

Father-Child Relations, Mother-Child Relations, and Offspring Psychological Well-Being in Early Adulthood. Journal of Marriage and Family, Vol. 56, No. 4 (Nov., 1994), pp. 1031- 1042.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/353611

SO WHAT IS YOUR EXCUSE?

• To busy hanging out with friends?• Grow up! Spend that time with your kid.

• Preoccupied with your favorite sports and athletes? • How about paying attention to your kids and help

them be successful?

TIME TO STEP TO THE PLATE

• Make a difference in your child’s life by…

• Make your kids priority number one

• Being emotionally, mentally, and financially involved

• Support your kids by supporting their mother

• Being willing to apologize for past failures

• Don’t let your pride get in the way

YOUR FIRST PRIORITY

• If your kids are your first priority you will…• Make time for them

• When you make time for the, you will see their needs

• When you see their needs, you will

• Make sure that their physical and emotional needs are met

BE WILLING TO DO WHAT IT TAKES

It’s not uncommon for men to struggle

• Be willing to admit your faults

• Be consistent

• Find a mentor

• Someone to teach you how to be a father

• Online resources

• http://www.fatherhood.org/

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?