That's Fit

As I type this, I can see my husband and my children playing outside on the swing set. My toddler is sliding down the tall slide on her own, something I never let her do. A few minutes ago, she fell (unharmed) off the swing -- something I never let her play on. My preschooler is standing on top of the playhouse. It's very clear to me that my husband and I have different parenting styles, but when he's on deck, he's on deck. The kids don't get hurt any more on his watch then they do on mine, but still...I just try not to watch.

The parenting styles of fathers recently came under scrutiny after a large Australian study that followed 5000 preschoolers found a compelling link between a father's parenting style and his children's BMI. Fathers who set clear boundaries with their children were more likely to have children with normal BMIs, while children of fathers who were permissive or "disengaged" were more likely to be have a higher BMI. Interestingly, the mother's parenting style seemed to have no impact. (Phew.)

The information gleaned from the study may be useful when developing childhood obesity intervention programs. Instead of focusing on the child, or mother and child, experts believe the results of this study may mean they should be focusing on parenting roles and the family as a whole. So let's hear it dads...what do you think?