Fathers, like mothers, are important to a child’s emotional development and well-being. Children with sensitive and supportive fathers have higher levels of social competence and better peer relationships, Psychology Today reports, citing studies showing better school performance and language skills for children whose fathers give them with learning materials and speak with them often.
They also report that despite parent breakups, fathers can serve these roles. Children who have regular positive contact with fathers, despite not living together, tend to better regulate emotions than those with no fatherly contact.
Importantly, other caregivers can also take over these functions when no father is present. Family structure, they report, is less important than having loving caregivers who meet physical, cognitive, emotional, and social needs.
Whether they know it or not, fathers have a superpower to make a positive difference in the education and social development of their children, says Partnership and Volunteer Coordinator, Thomas Garner. His belief is so strong that Garner is on a mission to recruit as many fathers and father figures as he can to support Dallas ISD’s All Pro Dad program.
With that goal in mind, Thomas held an All-Pro Dad “Dad’s Draft” last Saturday, Oct. 21, at Adelle Turner Elementary.
“If you visualize or have ever seen an NFL draft with the props on stage, the helmets, the green room for the young men being drafted in the first round, it’s the same hype. It’s an opportunity to acknowledge campuses who want to take the program beyond the draft and into their campuses to give men the opportunity to be leaders,” Garner said.
All Pro Dad is a national program with 1,000 chapters across 42 states that inspires men to embrace their roles as dads and husbands. It also provides guidance, support, and practical tips on parenting and family life through training, events, and emails.
“They get an opportunity to become a better husband, a better man, a better leader in the communities we serve,” Garner said of the participating fathers. “That’s the most gratifying thing I’ve learned from conversations with other dads in our programs. Of course, this is not a program for just African American men, but when you peel back the numbers, realize the number of homes in our community that lack fathers, and read the newspaper and see what’s happening with Black males, it’s important for us to serve.”
Calvin Grigsby, a counselor who works with elementary students at Barbara B. Manns High School and Middle School DAEP, believes an involved dad or father figure gives kids a role model, someone they can look up to, someone who is already established. “A man who has achieved some goals the student may have in mind for himself can guide the student on a path to success down the road,” Grigsby said.
