This is important because it helps create a situation where dads (by which we mean the full diversity
of men with a significant caring
role in children's lives, including biological and other
fathers and
father - figures), as well as mums (in a similarly diverse sense), feel comfortable and valued — in the context
of a culture which still privileges women as more naturally suited to caring, and more important as parents (and by extension, less important in other contexts,
eg the workplace).
Future studies should also seek to engage more
fathers, verify reports
of who takes a supporting
role (
eg, through cross comparison
of reports from each parent and the child or direct observation) and collect information on the nature
of supporting
roles (quality and frequency).