Dads making up time, researchers say By Ted Burnham Emerald Contributor Tho gap between father and child is growing smaller, but kids still spend much more time with mom titan with dad, a University researcher says. "The big chit net? in fathering is that tho father has gone from being totally uninvolvod to be ing a playmate." said Beverly Fagot, a University psychology profossor and early-childhood specialist "From very early in the child's life, lathers do more of the ploying and less of the cart providing than mothers,” Fagot said. Fagot recently lead a study at tho Oregon Social Learning Center in Eugene, where site learned that even in families (tint decided to. take ;in m’nfi.tnr ian approach to child-rearing, fathers remained significantly loss involved with their chil dren than did mothers. The study, which involved more than 300 families witli children who wore 12 months, 18 months and five years old, showed that a mother em ployed outside the homo will spend on average of seven to eight hours a day with a young child, compared to the father’s average of 30 minutes. Researchers also found that In all throe age groups, fathers are more likoly than mot here to engage in positivo interaction, especially play, with their chil dren, Tho study, which was funded in part by tho National Institute of Child Health and Develop ment, surveyed homes with fa thers. Local families volun teered to be interviewed and studied. The study itself was com prised of four one-hour homo observations, three telephone interviews and two three-hour labs involving each parent. In an article Fagot and gradu ate student Richard Hagan pub lished in the journal Child Ue vrlopmrnt last year, the study found tho bluest gnp between parents was the amount of time they spent instructing their children. Fagot says her research indi cates that mothers need to re member the importance of playing and that fathers need to help more with tho routine care of children. Fagot said children appear to do best when both parents an1 actively Involved in both ns pests <d parenting Fagot also said tho study sug gests this is why two parent homes tend to produce better adapted children. "Those children got two chances to gel a parent," she said, which can help when both parents are working Fagot said in 70 percent of the fami worked, although many of those parents did not work full time Fagot also emphasized that negative responses can muddle parent-child instruction. Re searchers noticed that critical and negative Instruction dis rupts the learning process. "Parental Instruction Is a lot of things," Fagot says. "If a par ent cannot Imi positive in teach ing the child thon they can't bo successful." Carol Hurd, a wutor fitness Instructor for tho Fugono Parks and Recreation Unpartmont, said she has observed many dif ferences between father* and mothors In hor parent-child swimming classos. "Usually when tho fathers are there, the children do more," Hurd said of her class es, which typically include eight to nine mother* and one or two fathers Hurd is roluctant to say whether this may bo because fa thers push their children more than mothers or because the child wants to "show off to the father "The few fathers that come have an excellent relationship The big change In fathering Is that the father has gone from being totally unlnvotved to being a playmate.’ — Beverly Fagot, University psychology professor with their child." Hurd said. '■(The children) laugh and have a good time.'1 Others findings by Fagot show parents spend more lime in positive inleracMon with n 12-month old than when the child is older There is more play, more positive physical behavior and more encourage ment, Parents, particularly mothers, start to uso more direction and instruction when the child roaches 1H months, undoubted ly because of the toddler's in creased language skills, the re searchers found By the time children are five, both parents are directing equal amounts of instruction at them Hurd said tiiis makes sense "A two-and-a half year old needs more input than a one year old," said Hurd, whose parent-child classes typically include children ages 12 to 24 months. "A one year old won't get out and run over to get toys,” Hurd said. Safety becomes much more important when the child is older and therefore more ac tive. she said The examination of parental interaction with children is part of Fagot’s ongoing re search. conducted over a peri od of 10 years, to study various uspects of childhood behavior and futnily dynamics. Fagot’s next study will forms on parents and three-, five- and sevon-yonr-otd children. Keisling affirms Roberts pro-choice stance PORTLAND (AP) — Any legislative attempt to rostrlct abortion In Oregon will be met with a veto irotn i.ov. nuroara mxwrw, Secretary of Stale Phil Keis ling told u pro-choice rally Tuesday. imaEHSi Yesterday the u.v su preme Ckmrt son! a printed invitation to every state in the nation to restrict a woman’s right to the most personal decision she can make.” Roberts said in a statement rued by Keisling. "Tho court has left the fundamental right to choose a fragile and hollow shell." In a 5-4 ruling Monday, the court preserved the legality of abortions, but also voted to uphold re strictions Pennsylvania has enacted. A woman must delay an abortion for 24 hours after visiting a clinic in Pennsylvania, and teen agers under IB must have the consent of one par ent or a judge. Women also am required to get de tailed counseling about abortion and alternatives in that state. “As a parent, if I over huve a daughter who is faced with the wrenching porsonal choice of what to do in difficult circumstances, I would want her to talk to me," Keisling said. "But if 1 had a daughter who felt she could not talk to me about that. I would not want to leave her fate up to the stato legislature and to the Run gan-Bush Supremo Court nominres " T>>e Supremo Court Monday gutted Its land mark Roe v Wade ruling, which legalized abor tion, Keisling suid. "The lifeless body of Roe v. Wade has been de livered up to us in this docislon. The ghost of it is still there, but if you touch it, it disappears into thin air," Kolsllng told a crowd of about 1,000 pro-choice supporters at a downtown park. Diane Lynn, executive director of the Oregon chapter of the National Abortion Rights Action League, said the court's decision was an insult to women. "For two decades women were deemed capa ble, competent and trustworthy to control our own lives.” she said. "For two decades the right to choose has been our right and our freedom "Yesterday, the Supreme Court said 'Not any more.' You are no longer capable, you are no longer trusted in that most personal domain "Now wo are only one vote away from the over turn of Roe. which will send women back to the buck alley.” Dean Roberts of Portlund handed out pro choice signs to the crowd before the speeches be gan “It's the same old battle for women.” Roberts said. "We gave them the right to vote but we don’t givo them their own reproductive rights." A 27-year-old Portland woman who identified herself only as Cybeie carried a sign reading, "I'm not mother material." "We’re really upset about the court's decision that minors must got parental permission." she said. "Some minors havo bad relations with their parents. "It’s not the parents say. What makes minors losser people?" Vicki Turner. 3<>. of Portland, came to the rally with her 2-year-old son, Michael. A sign on his stroller read. "We Will Not (k> Back." "In 1950. my mother had to go from Oklahoma to California to get an abortion," Turner said. "Sho nearly died.” fwE PRINtI J BETTER $«99 J ? PHOTOS J • Developed & printed _ I • 12.15. 24 exp 1 | >36 exp $5 99 J • 4x6 superpnnts add $1 ® JOIN NOW! DOC'S COCKTAIL RESEARCH TEAM 165 W. 11th • 683-8101 CHINA BLUE RESTAUANT ItyourcSmm, tool I » S73 S. 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