The Role of Fathers in Child Growth and Development

Hi Friends, Hermina Banyumanik

What is the role of fathers in children's growth and development?

Growth and development in children and adolescents is based on 3 needs that must be met, namely nurturing, fulfillment of nutrition, health, immunization and protection from injury, apart from that, love and care, namely the fulfillment of continuous love, a sense of security in the family and opportunities to learn. These three things are given by both parents, according to ASFA (the adoption and safe families act) Fathers because apart from being the head of the family to create security and the availability of housing, he is also the provider of family welfare, so that teenagers will be formed who have principles, and it is not easy give up.

Fathers' influence on children's well-being can have an impact on children's cognitive abilities and achievement. According to McAdoo's study, the role of the father in the family is that of a nourished mother, a caregiver other than the mother and fostering a positive relationship between mother and child by spending time together, child specialist and educator disciplining children in the right way, providing religious and other scientific education, providing world guidance. From the outside until a positive role model is formed, a protector who serves and protects, as well as a decision maker in the family, children can include their father's opinion as a consideration in decision making. Sundari's study also states that father nutrition can help the development of gender roles so that boys appear more masculine and girls appear more feminine, moral development with generosity can be an example of a father who is not antisocial and hostile, and the study states that when As adults, children's self-adjustment is better and raises achievement motivation.

The obstacles to the father's role in teenage children are usually other than the father's motivation to be involved in the child's life, because career/job saliency which causes stress makes him less attached to the care/rearing of the family's children, besides this, less self-confidence and skills lead to less efficacy, which must be supported by the mother's confidence in the father's parenting.

It is hoped that the father's role in the growth and development of teenage children can prevent children from bad influences, where when they were little they were introduced to them by their father and they became individuals with strong personalities who do not give up easily so that they can prevent teenagers from ending their own lives.