Apparently dad is the most important parent.

[ButterMeUp]

 

Parenting -Who is more Important, Mom or Dad?

U. S. Divorce statistics from the U.S. Census bureau, the National Center for Health Statistics and Americans for divorce reform report Fatherless homes account for:

• 63% of youth suicides
• 90% of homelessness/run away
• 85% of children with behavior problems
• 71% of high school drop-outs
• 85% of youths in prison
• 50% of teen mothers

Another Study reports:

Children reared in fatherless homes are more than twice as likely to become male adolescent delinquents or teen mothers, according to a significant new study by two economists at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

The Texas Department of Corrections reports:

85% of Youths in Prison Grew Up in Fatherless Home

All of these studies seem to indicate the problems arise from the absence of the father in the household. My contention is children need both parents. Perhaps these issues may be due to the breakdown of the family structure; and the absence of either parent could be a contributing factor. These assumptions are not really supported by the statistics because the U.S. Census bureau and U.S. Department of Commerce also report that 85% of custodial parents are women. Which means in single parent households where the father is custodial parent, that figure is only 15%. These statistics and the way they are reported imply the Father is more important to the household than the Mother.

More studies should be directed to the impact of divorce on children and how to keep a pseudo family structure in place for children of divorced parents. Some remedial actions that could be taken include; courts encouraging joint custody arrangements, mandatory parenting classes for both Mother and Father in divorce cases and general public education of parenting responsibilities.

http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Parenting_Who_is_More_Important_Mom_or_Dad.html

[Peanutx3]

Quoting fnpdocgrrl:

Both are equally important.  It's just more noticeable to the average person when dads are heavily involved.

We moms are expected to be heavily involved....therein lie the difference.

Spot on!

[ButterMeUp]

 Why do you say that?

Quoting DeniseHarrison:

MOM

 

[jonellg]

I voted Dad, because most kids have a good mom. But many are fatherless and yes it effects them.

[Rhodin]

How many stats do they have on children mostly or exclusively raised by men, though?  It seems that whenever Mom's out of the picture, a grandma, aunt, stepmom, or even girlfriend takes her place.  You don't often see that whenever Dad's the one that's gone.

[FromAtoZ]

Quoting ButterMeUp:

Those stats were from the census bureau.  

Quoting FromAtoZ:

I grew up in a fatherless home as did my brother.

Neither of us are in any of those categories.

Both parents are important in a child's life but it does depend on the individuals.

I don't buy in to stats and stories like these.  More times than not they gather their 'information' from the poorest of families and the weakest of individuals.

That does not paint an overall picture of the true lives of many.

 

I read that, yes.

It seems a normal conclusion that both parents are indeed important in a child's life.  A mother is no less important than the father and vice verse.  A child needs the love, support and guidance and examples of both parents.  That is, as long as both parents are able to provide this.

The circumstances that surround many families where one parent is missing vary and cannot be included in every census, poll or stat but they certainly come in to play.

I can see why the numbers are the way they are but that doesn't tell me it is solely due to the mother being an awful mother or due solely because the father isn't around.

We cannot say one parent is the better parent when we do not know the individual circumstances surrounding people.

[CrimsonGrace]

Having both parents present in a loving home is the ideal situation, and typically where the child would benefit most. Not always possible, but ideal.

[Angelicembrace]

Agreed!

Quoting fnpdocgrrl:

Both are equally important.  It's just more noticeable to the average person when dads are heavily involved.

We moms are expected to be heavily involved....therein lie the difference.

[momma2b2008]

I think that kids need a positive MALE role model! But that doesn't mean it HAS to be dad!

[heidimoose134]

I think both parents are important but I also believe that it depends on the individuals as well. 

All these statistics can account for is that these kids were raised in "fatherless homes". Does that mean that the father is nowehere to be found at all, or just that they don't get to see their father everyday? What other factors are involved that bring out these negative statistics? Is mom abusive? Is she neglectful? Does she work 3 jobs and rarely gets to see her children? 

I don't like these types of statistics because it's just not as black and white as "daddy wasn't around". 

[ButterMeUp]

BUMP!