
Most parents want to help their kids do well in school, and for dads the answer may be found in something simple and fun. A new study from the United Kingdom finds that kids do better in elementary school when their fathers regularly spend time interacting with them through reading, playing, telling stories, drawing or singing. Researchers at Leeds University Business School found that when dads regularly interacted with their 3-year-old children in these ways, the kids did better in school at age 5. When they were involved with their kids at age 5, those children had improved scores in key assessments at age 7. While dads had an impact on educational achievement, moms had more impact on kids’ emotional and social behaviors, the study found. Even just 10 minutes of time each day makes a difference, according to the study, which looked at thousands of two-parent households. Dr. Michael Yogman, a pediatrician at Cambridge Health Alliance in Massachusetts, chalked up the benefits to the double-dose of parenting in having two parents interacting with the children, the trusted relationship and something specific to dads themselves. Yogman, who was not involved in this research, was lead author of an American Academy of Pediatrics clinical report called the Power of Play. “I think fathers also provide complementary and non-redundant play experience with children, so that their interactions… read on > read on >