Are Women Better Parents Than Men?

Introduction

Lead- in

The roles of a mother and a father are crucial for a child’s physical, mental, and moral development. However, according to widespread stereotype, women are better parents than men. Yet, this opinion is based on a very biased and gendered perception of parenting.

Thesis

This paper will present an argument that man can be equally good at upbringing of a child and these skills are not necessarily dependent on a person’s gender.

Explain thesis

This thesis is based on the idea that people’s parental skills and parental success are determined by their attitude towards a child and their responsibility. These are the main factors that one should consider. More importantly, each of the parents makes different contribution to the upbringing of a child and exclusively maternal upbringing is not sufficient for proper emotional, moral, and mental development of a child.

Essay Map

This essay is aimed at discussing several areas and examples which demonstrate that men are not inferior to women in terms of parenting. The main focus will be on moral education, socialization, and future family life.

Claim 1

Those children, who are able to communicate with their fathers on a regular basis, can develop a stronger character.

Support

Psychologists believe that fathers act very important role models for their children and provide moral guidance to them (Lamb, 2004, p 383).

Explanation

Fathers provide examples which children follow and without these examples children will be unable to form moral judgment and assess the behavior of other people.

Support

Men can show their sons or daughters how they should behave in those circumstances which require strength of character, resolution, and responsibility.

Explanation

By observing the behavior of a father, a child can see a certain moral problem or conflict can be resolved. A father can explain when it is necessary to take a stand and be determined and when one should search for a compromise.

Support

Furthermore, those children, who are brought up by a father, are more able to defend their opinion and ideas, especially in conflict situations. Exclusively maternal upbringing can deprive a person of this ability.

Explanation

The thing is that women are more likely to avoid direct confrontation with another person, and this behavior is not always a good example for children.

Concluding sentence

There is not point in denying the fact that women make an important contribution to the moral education of a child; yet without men’s support they are less likely to succeed.

Claim 2

One should bear in mind that fathers can help their children establish better relations with other people, such as peers, teachers, and certainly, the opposite sex.

Support

Recent psychological studies have demonstrated that lack of father’s support is associated with a child’s reticence, unresponsiveness and emotional detachment (Rubin & Koplan, 2010, p 117).

• Explanation- In part, this behavior can be explained by the fact that these children lack appropriate examples showing how they should act in this or that situation.
• Support: Men’s involvement is important for the relations with the opposite sex.
• Explanation- If children are deprived of an opportunity to communicate with their fathers, they often find it very hard to understand differences in gender roles and behavior. Maternal education is not sufficient since it gives a one-sided interpretation of gender issues.
• Support: Father’s involvement in the upbringing of children can have a profound effect on their adult life and particularly career.
• Explanation- Children have to be accustomed to the idea that they live in a very competitive world, in which people must have resolution, courage, strength of character in order to succeed. Fathers can help them acquire and develop each of these character traits.

Concluding sentence

This discussion shows that a father is an important and even inseparable part of a child’s socialization; his participation is important for a child’s ability to interact with other people.

Claim 3

Provided that children are brought up only by their mothers; they are more likely to have problems in their family life.

• Support: People’s family life is very much dependent on their childhood experiences and the degree of father’s involvement.
• Explanation- By observing parents, children learn how be a husband or a wife and they should act in order to foster love and mutual understanding. They also see what kind of expectations spouses usually set for one another and how these expectations should be met. Fathers can help their children better understands many of these questions.
• Support: Educational skills are another important issue which should not be underestimated. Provided that children have an opportunity to communicate with their fathers, they will be better able to educate their own children and set them better examples.
• Explanation- It is important remember that educational strategies of parents are very dependent on their childhood experiences and their upbringing. Exclusively maternal upbringing can limit parenting skills of people and render them incapable of raising their own children. It is particularly important in those cases, when parents have to take a strong-willed decision.
• Support: Father’s involvement in parenting can help a child better resolve conflicts arising in the family (MacDonald, 2000, p 36).
• Explanation- It should be born in mind that even conflicts or disputes occur even in the happiest families. By communicating with a father or at least by observing his behavior, children can understand how a specific kind of conflict can be resolved or avoided. It should be mentioned that fathers also teach their children to manager anger and other negative emotions (MacDonald, 2000, p 36). These skills are crucial for proper relations between spouses.

Concluding sentence

Parents’ participation in the upbringing of children can have long-term effect on their future life; children are more likely to acquire emotional intelligence and become good spouses, if they have a chance to learn from their fathers.

Summary

Restate thesis

The importance of a father’s contribution to a child’s upbringing cannot be underestimated. In many cases, men can be as effective in this role as women are.

Summarize main points

1. First of all, fathers help children develop a stronger character and teach them to display such traits as resolution, firmness, and responsibility.
2. Secondly, their involvement is crucial for a child’s understanding of gender roles, social relations as well as emotional intelligence. This knowledge is indispensible for proper psychological development of a child.
3. Finally, fathers show to their children how a family should be built and what kind of obligations spouses have and how they should in different circumstances.

Concluding remarks

The idea that only one of the parents, namely, a mother should be involved in the upbringing of a child has long been abandoned by psychologists and educators. Fathers can play an equally important role in this process; in fact, in many cases, they involvement is indispensible. This paper has described how a caring father can contribute to children’s happiness and their future successes.

Reference List

Lamb M. (2004). The Role of the Father in Child Development (4^th ed.). NY: John Wiley and Sons.

MacDonald. A. (2000). Parenting with Heart. Haverford: Infinity Publishing.

Rubin K & Coplan R. (2010). The development of shyness and social withdrawal. NY: Guilford Press.