Father's Education, Children, and Time

Findings from the sixth National Survey of Family Growth, released May 31, found that dads as well as moms found parenting worthwhile, and that education is a key factor in fatherhood. According to report co-author Gladys Martinez, a demographer at the National Center for Health Statistics, the main predictor of a father's involvement with his children was his level of education. The study suggests that dads who have been to college, "tend to spend more time with their children than less-educated fathers do." Compared to fathers who had a high school diploma or less education, fathers who had been to college were:

• More likely to eat meals with or feed children under five every day (78.6% compared to 70.3%).
• More likely to bathe, diaper, and dress small children (65.4% compared to 43.6%).
• More likely to play with children every day (87.1% compared to 75.8%).
• More likely to read to children each day (32% compared to 19.5%).

One implication for those working with young children and their families might be to look for ways to encourage fathers without college to spend more time with their young children including concrete suggestions on how to proceed.

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Fertility, Contraception, and Fatherhood: Data on Men and Women From Cycle 6 of the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth." Hyattsville, MD: June 2006. Available: www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_23/sr23_026.pdf

Contributed by Michael Kalinowski

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