| If you are a father, you are probably aware that | | | | by the male figure in a child’s life, the fact |
| this role has changed significantly over the past | | | | remains that parents bring very different and |
| couple of decades or so. Your parent function is | | | | complimentary components of them to the |
| no longer limited to being the breadwinner and | | | | parenting table. |
| primary disciplinarian. Today, the focus is on | | | | The direct and indirect benefits of healthy |
| increasing parent involvement, and the father | | | | father-child relationship dynamics on the child’s |
| parent must take a hands-on approach to | | | | school life are tremendous. Children of involved |
| parenting. This, of course, includes the child’s | | | | fathers show much higher academic scores, have |
| education. Fathers who genuinely involve | | | | superior verbal skills and cognitive competence, |
| themselves in their children’s schooling | | | | participate in more extracurricular activities and |
| whether it's homework help or involvement with | | | | generally enjoy school more. Additionally, the |
| school sports make a huge difference. However, | | | | parent-teacher interaction (for both parents) is |
| their influence in this aspect of their child’s life | | | | positive because both parents are aware of their |
| does not begin with direct involvement in | | | | child's school progress. |
| school-related issues. | | | | That said, increasing the father’s positive |
| Fathers have a different parenting approach from | | | | impact on the child’s school life must be the |
| that of mothers. That is as it should be – | | | | result of a collective decision by both parents. This |
| research has proved that the male influence plays | | | | decision must be enforced whenever necessary. |
| a vital role in a child’s life, bringing with it a | | | | Most elementary school and high school teachers |
| separate and important set of values. When it | | | | still display a tendency to contact the child’s |
| comes to the child’s schooling, the impact | | | | mother when something needs looking into. |
| that the father parent has begins from the nature | | | | Once it has been agreed that the father should |
| of his basic relationship with his child. It has been | | | | play a more active role in the child’s |
| found that involved dads directly contribute to the | | | | education, the mother must ensure that such calls |
| child’s success at school, and it is not just | | | | are taken by the father at least some of the |
| about helping with homework or being present for | | | | time. Attendance of local PTA meetings and other |
| the local PTA meeting or parent teacher | | | | school events as well as helping out with |
| interviews. | | | | homework should also be more or less equally |
| It is fathers who spend quality time with their | | | | divided among both parents. Such and similar |
| children at home who make the biggest | | | | measures ensure that both the school authorities |
| contribution to their child’s education. This is | | | | and the child understand that the father is an |
| because such fathers give their kids focus, a | | | | active, involved and decision-making entity in the |
| sense of security and a desire to achieve. While | | | | child’s education. |
| these are obviously not attributes imparted solely | | | | |