How Does Growing up without a Father affect a Child?

[the_bob_delusion]

Go.

[lind9650]

That epends on what the Father was like. Sometimes they are better off without him.

My first husband was a very violent man. Not ony I, but the children were frightened and tense every time we heard his car pull up in the drive way. After he left us, we all relaxed. The children slept better and started doing well in School.

Erica

[lionrose.7]

[cmcoins2000]

In some cases I have known personally - pretty darn good.

[lurker172602]

I dunno bob. How affected do you think I am?

[ecar3483]

Barack Obama did okay. His father left when he was two. Of course, he might be an exception to the rule.

[kopenhagen5]

A complex issue.

Depends if you talk about a girl or a boy.

The reason for no father, left, died or still visits.

The love, nuturing and leadership skills of the mother, grandparents etc.

If there is a step father in the mix.

The list goes on.

From memory the research done on children from different types of homes, be it poor, rich, fatherless, motherless, the happiest and content children were those with both a mother and father regardless of social economic status.

[alexander*beetle]

Depends whether you mean a father who has died, left or otherwise not around. 

Or a father who is in the home but totally absent in heart and spirit. 

I think the latter is far more damaging. 

[polksaladallie]

If the father is absent, the welfare of the child and its emotional health depends entirely on the mother.  If she is healthy, the child will be fine.  If she is not well, the child will suffer.  Unfortunately, the second scenario is all too common because there is FA support to be found.

[polksaladallie]

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@kopenhagen5 wrote:

A complex issue.

Depends if you talk about a girl or a boy.

The reason for no father, left, died or still visits.

The love, nuturing and leadership skills of the mother, grandparents etc.

If there is a step father in the mix.

The list goes on.

From memory the research done on children from different types of homes, be it poor, rich, fatherless, motherless, the happiest and content children were those with both a mother and father regardless of social economic status.

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Research has shown that children need real love from a constant someone (the same person) for the first three years.  It doesn't matter if it is one person and they live in a tent, or many people living in a mansion.  If they have that, they are almost immune from whatever comes later.