As the world celebrates Father’s Day on June 15, experts stress that fathers play a vital role in a child’s development equal to that of mothers.Turkish psychologist Sena Sivri highlights eight key benefits of a healthy father-child bond, including improved emotional well-being, stronger social skills, and better academic performance.
As the world celebrates Father’s Day on June 15, experts highlight the vital role of fathers in shaping emotionally healthy, confident, and well-rounded children.
While Father’s Day is traditionally a time to honor the love and sacrifices of dads around the world, psychologists stress that the impact of fathers goes far beyond emotional support or financial provision. According to Turkish psychologist Sena Sivri, the presence of a nurturing and emotionally available father plays a critical role in a child’s overall development mentally, emotionally, and even academically.
In most discussions on child development, the spotlight often falls on mothers. However, research and clinical observations are increasingly reinforcing that fathers are equally essential. A healthy father-child relationship contributes significantly to how a child views themselves, others, and the world.
From ages 6 to 12, children experience critical developmental stages. During this period, fathers who adopt a supportive approach help children develop the tools to express their feelings freely, handle setbacks, and build resilience. In adolescence, this emotional grounding becomes even more important as teens face peer pressure, identity formation, and mood swings.
A strong father-child bond also has a measurable impact on social skills. When children feel supported by their fathers, they tend to be more confident in social environments, assertive in their communication, and capable of forming healthy relationships.
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Interestingly, the influence of fathers is not limited to emotional well-being. Studies and experts suggest that children with active, supportive fathers often perform better in school. Sivri emphasizes that knowing their father believes in them boosts a child’s motivation, self-confidence, and goal-setting behavior.
“When children know they are supported regardless of the outcome, they try harder and take academic challenges in stride,” she says. “The father becomes both a motivator and a role model.”
Fathers often play the dual role of encourager and boundary-setter. This balance helps children understand discipline, authority, and personal responsibility. It also teaches them to respect others’ boundaries and establish their own, which is crucial for personal development and conflict resolution.
For boys, a father often represents their first role model of masculinity and paternal behavior. A positive father-son relationship shapes how they perceive the role of a father and influences how they will act in that role in the future. Girls, too, learn how to expect to be treated in relationships through their father’s interactions especially with their mother.
Children often absorb behavioral cues from their parents’ relationship. When a father shows love and respect to his partner, the child is more likely to emulate those traits in their future relationships. On the contrary, distant or emotionally unavailable fathers can contribute to children developing avoidant or anxious relationship patterns in adulthood.
As we mark Father’s Day on June 15, it is important to move beyond celebratory gestures and acknowledge the deeper, long-lasting influence that fathers have on their children’s lives. A father’s presence, love, and guidance are not optional add-ons they are fundamental to the emotional, psychological, and social development of the next generation.
Investing in healthy father-child relationships today can help raise emotionally resilient and socially responsible adults tomorrow. This Father’s Day, let’s celebrate the dads who are not just present but truly involved shaping hearts, minds, and futures.
