Involved Dads Make a Big Difference

My father gave me the greatest gift one can give another person, he believed in me. Jim Valvano, American basketball player, coach, commentator

Today is Father’s Day in the U.S. As dads evolve from being distant breadwinners to fuller family participants, statisticians are evaluating outcomes of involved fatherhood. Fathers who participate in their children’s lives produce better outcomes on nearly every measure of child wellbeing. 

For instance, according to recent statistics, children who grow up with an involved father are: Thirty-nine percent more likely to earn mostly A’s in school, sixty percent less likely to be suspended or expelled from school, twice as likely to go to college or find stable employment after high school. Kids with involved dads are seventy-five percent less likely to have a teen birth and eighty percent less likely to spend time in jail. I grew up with an involved dad in the fifties, long before it was a trend. His participation in my life was a game-changer for this motherless daughter. Thanks Dad!!

Affirmation: I’m grateful for my dad’s involvement in my life.

Coaching questions: What difference did your dad make in your life? If you’re a dad, what difference are you making in the lives of your children? What can you do better?