Mothers play a vital role in determining how much fathers get involved in taking care of their infants, according to new research from Ohio State University. A study of 97 couples found that fathers were more involved in the day-to-day care of their infants when they received active encouragement from their wife or partner. In fact, this encouragement was important even after taking into account fathers' and mothers' views about how involved dads should be, the overall quality of the couple's parenting relationship, and how much mothers worked outside the home.
In addition, fathers' beliefs about how involved they should be in child care did not matter when mothers were highly critical of fathers' parenting. In other words, fathers didn't put their beliefs into practice when faced with a particularly judgmental mother. "Mothers are in the driver's seat," said Sarah Schoppe-Sullivan, co-author of the study. "Mothers can be very encouraging to fathers, and open the gate to their involvement in child care, or be very critical, and close the gate. This is the first real evidence that mothers, through their behavior, act as gatekeepers by either fostering or curtailing how much fathers take part in caring for their baby."
The study included 97 couples in the Midwest who were married or cohabiting, and who were expecting a child when the study began. After the child was born, the researchers conducted an in-home assessment and the couples completed questionnaires in which each partner reported the mothers' gatekeeping behaviors. They were asked how often the mother responded to the father's parenting behaviors with encouragement (for example, telling the father how happy he makes the child) or criticism (for instance, by looking exasperated or rolling her eyes).
"Most other studies haven't looked at actual behaviors of mothers," Schoppe-Sullivan said. "In many cases, researchers have used questionnaires asking parents how much fathers should be involved in parenting, and then related the answers to parents' reports about mother and father involvement in child care."
This study, contends Schoppe-Sullivan, showed that encouragement by mothers is vital in shaping the role of fathers. "Encouragement is very important, and really makes a difference in how much fathers participate. But she cautioned that the format of this study means that the researchers can't prove what actions were the cause and which were the effect. In other words, they can't prove that encouragement by mothers always causes more father involvement, or if, on the other hand, fathers' involvement also affects how much mothers encourage. "It's likely that causation goes both ways," she concluded.
Related:
Forget Purchasing Power: All You Need Is Love
Kids Need Active Father-Figure
Family Routines And Rituals Improve Family Health
Adolescence And Divorce Make For Distant Dads
Source: Ohio State University
