He built the tree house. Wiped away tears on a tough day. Cheered on the sidelines. There are lots of obvious reasons to appreciate your old man, as many as 70 countries will do this Sunday, Father's Day.
But new science on fatherhood is uncovering others that you may not have known—and which should earn Dad a little extra love.
Dad shouldn't do the dishes this Sunday. But one study suggests that fathers who handle their fair share of household chores raise daughters who aspire to careers beyond those that are stereotypically female, such as nursing and teaching.
"It's important to not only talk the talk when it comes to gender equality at home, but walk the walk, because daughters seem to be watching."
Image from The Telegraph
Fathers are famous for their bedtime stories. Turns out these tales may play a huge role in raising successful kids, according to a study published earlier this year in the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology.
The "findings highlight the unique contribution of fathers to children's early academic achievement," wrote co-author Claire Baker, an educational psychologist at the University of North Carolina.
Image from KiddyTrend.com
Mice, and likely humans, are more genetically similar to their fathers than to their mothers, according to a study published in March in Nature Genetics. We inherit DNA (nearly) equally from each parent but actually "use" more of dad's genes, the research suggests.
"If inherited from the mother, the gene wouldn't be expressed as much as it would be if it were inherited from the father. So, the same bad mutation would have different consequences in disease if it were inherited from the mother or from the father."
Image from Acculturated
Don't tell the kids, but rough-and-tumble playtime is a great learning experience. Many studies have explored how fathers that engage in creative roughhousing help kids evaluate risk, solve problems, learn their limits, manage excitement and aggression, and read others' emotional cues while conveying their own—all in a safe environment where nobody gets hurt.
"It really is a fantastically complex constellation of emotions and self-regulation, which we now understand is a key element for children to develop well," Fletcher says.
Image from ScienceDaily
Expectant mothers need to watch what they eat, but surprising research suggests that dad's diet also influences his future children's health.
Now, "our research suggests that fathers need to think about what they put in their mouths, what they smoke and what they drink," McGill University's Sarah Kimmins said in a statement, "and remember they are caretakers of generations to come."