May 2022 Parenta magazine

The significant role of
fathers in the early years
Historically, fathers have been side-lined in
bringing up children, with mothers seen as
the ‘gatekeeper’. Indeed, back in the mid-
1970s, a father’s involvement was typically
around 15 minutes a day. Thankfully,
this outdated mindset has changed
significantly, and dads and father figures
are becoming more involved than ever.
Unexpectedly, COVID has facilitated father/
child relationships. During lockdown in
2020, 78% of dads were spending more
time with their children, 68% spent more
time than usual on home schooling/
homework, and more than half felt better
equipped to support their children’s
learning and education. 1
And yet 44% of fathers in a recent report 2
confessed to lying or bending the truth
to their employer about leave for familyrelated
responsibilities.
This is shocking! Even in the 21st century,
there are barriers to fathers sharing
childcare. Children with involved fathers
are more likely to have better well-being,
higher self-esteem, be more resilient, have
better language development and higher
educational attainment! 3 Dads, then, are
key. Our role as early years practitioners
is to reverse negative societal views
regarding fathers’ involvement. Where do
we start?
Science and facts of
fatherhood
Science demonstrates that fathers are
designed to be equal partners in parenting
from the beginning. Expectant fathers
influence child development. Here’s how:
• Fathers’ mental health during the
pregnancy is linked with their child’s
well-being later in life
• During pregnancy, there are changes
to areas of fathers’ brains linked
with nurturing, attachment and
responsiveness. The brain literally
‘bulks up’ for these skills ready for the
birth of the child. One key change is a
testosterone level dip 4 just before and
after the birth of the child. As a result,
dads have more of a natural urge to
care for their new-born baby
• Fathers pass on 50% of their genetic
material to their child’s development.
However, they pass on epigenetic
contributions too. This is where their
environment and behaviours can
cause changes to be made in the way
their genes work and this modifies
the genes they pass on. Such
epigenetic modifications will not just
affect the next generation but can be
transmitted across future generations
Should fathers get all the
fun?
Dads are often labelled as the ‘fun’ parent
and yet this ‘fun’ is crucial for both child
and father. When dads and children
engage in boisterous, happy play, their
brains release higher levels of oxytocin.
Oxytocin, the ‘love hormone’, triggers
loving, protective feelings and positive
emotional responses. Play stimulates
the production of this hormone, whilst
caretaking for dads generally releases
less. Consequently, dads will enjoy the
more physical aspect of play, the rough
and tumble. Good news all round!
Adverse Childhood
Experiences Score (ACES)
When men experience any ACES (traumatic
or stressful experiences before the age
of 18) it may have an impact on future
relationships, including how they view
their own children. The higher the ACES
score, the greater the negative impact.
For instance, their perception of a child’s
‘behaviour’ at 6 and 12 months may
become more negative due to stress they
experienced as a child. 5 This negative
perception may continue as the child gets
older. Robust and effective support for all
fathers, regardless of very young children,
is key.
Are we being intentional
about including and
engaging fathers?
Early years settings are keen to involve
dads. But we must go much further than
this! We must ensure that all fathers feel
and remain fully engaged. To do this, we
need to be aware of any barriers that may
prevent dads from becoming involved.
What are these barriers?
1. How much does the ‘female’
atmosphere of pre-school put
fathers off? A group of early years
practitioners in Milton Keynes picked
out a different park each month to
set up a ‘toddler friendly trail.’ Out of
roughly 50 adult participants, a third
were men. Men were not targeted but
clearly felt more comfortable being in
the park, rather than the femaleness
of the early years setting. What might
put fathers off from coming into your
setting? How comfortable do dads
feel around the female atmosphere or
environment in general?
2. What are the attitudes towards dads?
Is there an assumption that mums
will come to nursery events more than
dads?
3. Fathers’ work and geographical
proximity impacts their involvement.
Does your setting know where dads
live and work?
4. Research demonstrates that fathers
appreciate humour, non-judgement
and fun. Does your nursery reflect
this?
ACTIONS FOR DADS’
ENGAGEMENT
Connect with all fathers:
• Ask how fathers are and keep asking
• Invite them by name into the
setting
• Make sure events are
geared for dads as well
as mums
• Reflect dads’ interests in
newsletters and other literature
• Find out dads’ interests – sports,
maths, cooking?
• Find out what dads enjoyed/didn’t like
about school
• Invite fathers in to play football or
other physical activities
• Offer ‘Dad and kid’ activities, e.g.,
running clubs
• Have a named person, a ‘Dad’s
Champion’, who leads the staff team
on father engagement in the setting
• Train practitioners in engaging with
fathers 6
Conclusion
Intentional engagement with fathers is
a must. After all, research confirms a
positive, strong and direct link between the
active involvement of father figures and
children’s cognitive skills development,
their ability to deal with stress and being
better prepared for school.
Successful father involvement takes place
where the whole team understand how
the engagement of fathers is everyone’s
responsibility, where staff do not by default
always engage with mothers.
Start today by ensuring that the
involvement of father figures becomes
entrenched in your settings’ values. Dads
and father figures come in all shapes and
sizes, from stepdads and grandfathers
to uncles and family friends. We need
them all. They are, indeed, crucial to every
child’s development. Bring them into the
setting and ensure they feel welcomed
and needed.
What are we waiting for? Get the invites
out today!
Helen Garnett
Helen Garnett is a mother of 4, and a
committed and experienced early years
consultant. She has a wealth of experience
in teaching, both in the primary and early
years sectors. She co-founded a preschool
in 2005 where she developed a
keen interest in early intervention, leading
her into international work for the early
years sector. Helen cares passionately
about young children and connection.
As a result, she wrote her first book,
“Developing Empathy in the Early Years:
a guide for practitioners” for which she
won the Professional Books category
at the 2018 Nursery World Awards, and
“Building a Resilient Workforce in the Early
Years”, published by Early Years Alliance
in June 2019. She also writes articles for
early years magazines, such as Nursery
World, Early Years Teacher Organisation,
QA Education, Teach Early Years, and Early
Years Educator.
Helen is the co-founder and Education
Director at Arc Pathway, an early years
platform for teachers and parents.
Helen can be contacted via LinkedIn.
16 May 2022 | parenta.com
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