University of Cambridge — Science Daily — 29 June 2020
Children whose fathers make time to play with them from a very young age may find it easier to control their behaviour and emotions as they grow up, according to research by academics at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge and the LEGO Foundation.
The study pulled together fragmentary evidence from the past 40 years, analysing 78 studies undertaken between 1977 and 2017. The researchers found that fathers engage in more physical play even with the youngest children — activities such as tickling, chasing, and piggy-back rides. This seems to help children learn to control their feelings and may make them better at regulating their own behaviour as they enter school.
Professor Paul Ramchandani, Professor of Play in Education, Development and Learning at Cambridge, said: “Physical play creates fun, exciting situations in which children have to apply self-regulation. You might have to control your strength, learn when things have gone too far — it’s a safe environment in which children can practise how to respond.” Children who enjoyed high-quality playtime with their fathers were less likely to exhibit hyperactivity, or emotional and behavioural problems, and appeared to be better at controlling their aggression.