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.”
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