Letting dad be dad is crucial for child development
Jun 19, 2015, 4:22 PM | Updated: 8:54 pm
A father's interaction with his children is as important as a mother's, just in other ways. (AP)
(AP)
It was not uncommon for John Curley to hear “you’re going to ruin those kids.”
The KIRO Radio show host would play “monster bag” with his siblings, a memory he still looks back on fondly.
Running around a dark house with nothing to protect them from the monster but some newspaper, Curley remembers the excitement of the childhood game. His father would capture the kids and secure them in the closet, then he would turn the lights back on and “save” them.
Meanwhile, his mother would be shaking her head at the game.
It’s an example of how fathers interact with their children, which can actually benefit development, according to a recent study. There’s a hormonal response to becoming parents, KIRO Radio’s Tom Tangney explains. Mothers help children feel safe and nurtured, while fathers teach children how to deal with the outside world.
The father’s role is all about teaching their children how to face risk and have it resolved, Tom continued. They teach kids how to explore and get excited.
“It’s also trust,” Curley added. When a father throws his child in the air and catches it, it shows them trust.
So this Father’s Day, let dad be dad.
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Tune in to KIRO Newsradio weekdays at 3pm for John Curley and Shari Elliker.
