Mothers and fathers play an important role in shaping their children’s health and development. Although mothers are still disproportionately responsible for childcare, Australian fathers are now spending more time with their children compared to previous generations.1
Like mothers, fathers and non-birthing parents can influence the mental health and wellbeing of their children through their approach to parenting and the behaviours they demonstrate when interacting with their child.
Developed by the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS), this suite of resources provides insights into how practitioners and services can support fathers to engage positively with their children, including warmth and responsiveness, and play.
- How fathers’ warm and responsive parenting can support child mental health (short article)
- How fathers can support child mental health through setting limits and managing behaviour (short article)
- Supporting fathers’ mental health in the perinatal period (practice guide)
- How fathers’ positive engagement and caregiving can support child mental health (practice guide)
- How fathers can positively influence children’s mental health through play (practice guide)
1 Craig, L. & Mullan, K. (2012). Australian fathers’ work and family time in comparative and temporal perspective. Journal of Family Studies, 18(2–3), 165–174.DOI: 10.5172/jfs.2012.18.2-3.165