Father involvement is defined as men's “positive, wide-ranging, and active participation in their children's lives,” building of social capital, or how fathers provide a support network for children as they grow up to contribute to society.
Father involvement means:
• direct interaction between a father and child;
• accessibility, or how available a father is to his child when needed;
• responsibility, or managing and providing resources for a child (doctor’s appointments, supplementing family income or child support);
• building of social capital, or how fathers provide a support network for children as they grow up to contribute to society.
More than anything in the world, children want their parents’ attention and love. Further, research shows that when children receive positive attention from and healthy interaction with their parents, they do better in all aspects of their lives (home, school, work, etc.) than children who do not receive this attention. This occurs regardless of how much money they have or the type of neighborhood they live in. So remember, being a good father doesn’t mean making sure your child has all the best toys or lives in the best neighborhood. It means making sure your child has all the benefits of having you in his or her life.