What Matters More When It Comes To Parents' Time Spent With Children?

Parents love their children to an extent where nothing else reaches. They want what's best for them. In the attempt to give them everything, they accuse themselves of not spending sufficient time with their children. However, a recent study proves them wrong.

According to a study published in The Guardian, fathers time spent with their children is less important in comparison with how they feel about parenting. The study is focused on parents relationship with the kids, and it shows that those fathers who enjoy their time parenting, their children are less likely to have behavioral problems under the teenage.

A survey in Southwest England revealed that the determining factor in a child's behavior problem was linked to how much the father was connected to the child emotionally. The lead author of the study, Charles Opondo from the Nuffield Department of Population Health at the University of Oxford, said that the emotional bonding is much more important in a father-child relationship rather than the time spent on care.

The research concludes that how much a child feels close to parents, especially fathers is what matters in his growth and development. The time spent with the kids is important in aspects of quality not quantity. Regarding young children, the time spent on their playful activities like bathing, reading, painting is high-quality time. With older children, a quality time means listening to them, sharing with them and most important of all. The time spent with them should matter to both.

Telegraph UK shared the views of Oxford University sociologist Dr. Oriel Sullivan who stated that when parents try to spend all of their time with their kids, they are not only doing harm to themselves but also making children uncomfortable by sticking with them all the time. She further added that the time spent with the kids should be less but quality time; the time which could be useful for children development.