Today’s fathers play a critical role in the development, nutrition and growth of their children.
By: Anne-Marie De Beer, Nutrition, Health and Wellness Manager, Nestlé East and Southern Africa Region (ESAR), writing for The Growing Parent, a supportive platform for parents and caregivers with children between the ages of 3 – 5 years.
Fathers have a consequential impact on their children’s nutrition, exercise and play. According to a study conducted by Yogman et.al (2022), the active and ongoing involvement of fathers in a child’s life has been linked to improved outcomes such as improved mental health, physical and cognitive development.
In the South African context, Swartz & Bhana, 2009 highlight how modern fathers speak with sadness about never knowing their own fathers and recognize the lack of experience and guidance on fatherhood and responsibility. However, significant socio-economic and cultural developments have provided modern fathers with the chance to be more involved in their children’s education, nutrition, wellness, and health care. The result of this is a balanced perspective in the home when it comes to child-related matters.
The link between fathers and healthy behaviour in 3 – 5 year olds
Early childhood presents a window of opportunity to shape an array of habits – including dietary ones. Fathers can play 4 key roles in the lives of their children and Heritage Month offers the opportunity for fathers to reflect on the cultural development of their growing child.
Dad as the Defender
According to a paper published by Michigan State University, actively involved fathers give their children a sense of safety – whether it be psychological, physical, or emotional. A sense of safety provided by active fathers encourages children to explore and play, ultimately strengthening their ability to express preferences and desires. These discussions often take place during mealtime – hence the importance of families eating together at a table.
Dad as the Teacher
A typical South African morning meal for a pre-schooler could include a warm bowl of mealie meal porridge or motoho wa mabele (sorghum) with some milk and/or peanut butter to power them up ahead of a busy day. If dad shows the way by having the same meal, he helps to set good eating examples for life.
Children might be enticed by the colourful packaging and exciting advertisements for instant sugary cereals, but the ability for active fathers to instil healthier eating routines is something the child will likely practise well into adulthood. The same goes for their lunchbox, by introducing nutrient-rich vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumber, carrots etc in their lunchbox will ensure a healthier diet for the pre-schooler. Once again if dad does the same, likelihood is very good that the kids will follow suit.
Dad as the Custodian of heritage
For young children, preschool may be the first time they interact with classmates or teachers from other backgrounds. Encouraging a sense of exploration and learning more about others is a great way to build up your child’s understanding and acceptance of new information. This is an excellent measure of key developmental milestones. In most traditional South African cultures, fathers are mainly responsible for instilling the cultural customs and practises in their families. Present fathers have a chance to educate their child about their own culture and heritage, instilling a stronger sense of self and belonging.
Dad as the Entertainer
Being a source of entertainment and wonder for your young one creates room for the monkey see, monkey do, trope. Children aged 3 to 5 lack sophisticated criteria for evaluating behaviours in various scenarios, making it challenging for them to judge whether those behaviours they imitate are appropriate or socially acceptable.
A lot of adults who are now fathers of pre-schoolers grew up with minimal access to technology and spent most of their time outdoors playing local games like diketo or morabaraba. Another great way dads can get their children excited about the outdoors is by introducing them to games from their own childhood. This creates an opportunity to bond over a shared experience and introduce the child to new games that might challenge and excite them.
Today’s fathers need to balance selflessness, awareness, sensitivity, and busy schedules while making room for quality time for themselves and their families. While it may not be easy, the reward of raising a confident, balanced, and well-developed child is unquantifiable.
