What’s the Good Father Effect?

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“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow men. True nobility lies in being superior to your former self.” -Ernest Hemingway

Warm, caring dads produce what sociologists call the “good father effect” according to a 2021 study published in the Journal of Family Psychology. Intimacy between a parent and a child acts as a protective buffer against the day-to-day challenges of life.

Research shows that a strong paternal connection helps young people to manage their emotions and deal with mental-health crises. The Harvard Education School’s Making Caring Common project found that nearly twice as many 14-to-18-year-old boys and girls feel comfortable opening up to their mothers (72%) as opposed to their fathers (39%) about anxiety, depression or other mental-health challenges.

The gap suggests that fathers can become much more involved at home, offering the kind of emotional support that many children today so urgently need. So how does that happen?

Time in and stronger skills - both of which can be learned in yoga. Family Yoga is the most popular way for dads to get involved with the kids with healthy physical fitness and mental mindset development. That’s because seeing your child requires a pause — slowing down and tuning into what's happening below the surface — and that takes practice.

There’s no better place for that than on the mat for the coordination, balance, and body awareness that serve as key building blocks for maintaining lifelong physical health and safety.