Plunket Congratulates Dedicated Dads
Plunket is celebrating Father’s Day by congratulating the men who are making their children a priority in their lives.
“When we consider the short and long-term benefits to children of having both parents fully involved in their care and upbringing, it is clear that society will also ultimately benefit,” says Erin Beatson, clinical advisor with Plunket.
“International research 1 supports what we all know to be true – that fathers make a real difference in child development outcomes for both boys and girls, especially with self-esteem, emotional wellbeing, the capacity to love and be loved, and the ability to participate in society.
“Plunket acknowledges the difficulties for many parents of achieving this, but it is exciting to see fathers themselves wanting things to change,” she says.
Erin Beatson quotes a survey published by the Department of Labour’s EEO Trust2 (July 2004) which found 82% of the 1200 fathers surveyed felt paid work negatively affected the amount of time spent with their children.
She says the survey also showed men increasingly wanting their workplaces to be more supportive of fathers taking parental leave, in order to help them become “the kinds of fathers they wanted to be”.
“Given that 49% of women with children under five are now working 3, it is more important than ever that, for the sake of the children, society begins to embrace the idea of dads as true partners in parenting.
“Breaking down gender stereotypes towards parenting while building up support for all parents is one of the best things a modern society can do. Plunket congratulates the fathers out there who are doing just that,” says Ms Beatson.
References
[1] Australian Department of Family and Community Services (1999). Fitting Fathers into Families: Men and the Fatherhood Role in Contemporary Australia, Commonwealth of Australia: Author.
[1] Department of Labour (July 2004). Achieving Balanced Lives and Employment. What New Zealanders are saying about Work-Life Balance
[1] Department of Labour (February 2004) Work-Life Balance Newsletter. Fact sheet 11
XtraMSN Health & Fitness
September 04
This is wonderful reading for those of us who are separated Fathers and feel our input is neither properly recognised nor valued.
It took two people to bring my three wonderful children into this world. I firmly believe it takes two people to provide for all their needs.
As a Father, I provide love, cuddles, hugs, back-rubs, a system of values, adventures, support, rough-and-tumble for my two boys and a gentleman for my Princess. My role model and the stability I provide (in spite of the actions of their mother) has, I believe, been a large factor in easing their passage through the trauma of our separation.
I plan to continue being the best Dad for my children for as long as circumstances will allow.
[David] Cunliffe and the Child Support arm of the Department of Inland Revenue actively seek to deny me this right through anachronistic legislation that sentences me to 12 years in penury.
Child “support” does not support my children and it penalises their Father. Taking their Dad from them is an act of criminal negligence.
Give our children equal access to both their parents; give our children the best of both parents.
As I tell my children, “Upstairs is for thinking, downstairs is for dancing” – stop dancing David.
Comment by Mark Shipman — Mon 6th September 2004 @ 10:35 am
Mark i agree with your comments but i do think that groups like Plunket need to be educated about what realy happens when a relationship breaks apart when there are children involved.
It may be helpful if some non custodial fathers who have small children who are still visited by Plunket to make themselves known to Plunket as to the wellbeing of their children.
Comment by Peter — Mon 6th September 2004 @ 1:13 pm
Ms Beatson sounds like she’s spouting much sanctimonious drivel to me. ‘Congratulating men who make their children a priority in their lives’ indeed! Thus implying that the guys who are out there working 50 – 60 hours a week plus, and are not home-daddies are somehow not making their kids a priority!
Think ‘breadwinner = making kids a priority’ Ms Beatson. Duh! The thought that this need spelling out to a clinical advisor of Plunket leaves me cold.
Notice how NZ Men who for decades have been scared off from active hands-on parenting by widespread horrendous misandric stereotyping are suddenly flavour of the month with feminist career women who want ‘partners’ for childcare purposes.
Comment by Stephen Gee — Mon 6th September 2004 @ 3:02 pm