Wednesday, March 10, 2010
 

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The Dad Difference: How To Encourage Autonomy


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Fathers today are far more involved in their children's lives than dads of previous generations. Nowadays dads attend parent-teacher conferences, help with homework, and drive carpool. At the local YMCA, the Mommy and Me class is now called Parent & Child Gym--and I see dads bringing toddlers in. How the world has changed!

Recent research shows that fathers' growing involvement in parenting is terrific for kids. The more dads are involved with their children, the more kids thrive.

Just make sure that your parenting style supports your child's autonomy. Because along with newfound joys, there's a noteworthy danger for dads: more than ever before, dads share in the skyrocketing anxiety about our children. One reason is that there's so much competition in our children's lives. Youth sports have become a competitive arms race, with teams of youngsters practicing two to four hours a week, the age for travel teams dropping, and kids as young as ten pressured to focus on one sport. From preschool onward, kids compete for admission to the best schools, the regional orchestra, honors courses and gifted programs. Don't even mention the pursuit of a brand-name college.

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About the Author

Wendy S. Grolnick, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at Clark University, is nationally known for her pioneering studies on the role parents play in children's motivation and achievement. In addition to co-authoring Pressured Parents, Stressed-Out Kids, she is author of the critically acclaimed book, The Psychology of Parental Control: How Well-Meant Parenting Backfires.

Kathy Seal is a parenting journalist whose articles have appeared in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Family Circle, the Columbia Journalism Review, and many other magazines and newspapers. She's also appeared on several radio and television shows. Check out their website.

 

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