Dads Are More Attentive to Daughters, a Study Claims

Dads are some of the most important people in the world. They care for their kids, raise them, and are increasingly becoming stay-at-home parents. But it turns out they pay more attention to their daughters, and their behavior and brain are under the influence of their kids’ gender.

We at Bright Side are ready to tell you what this means and how it can affect a child’s future. One study came up with unexpected results of dads interacting with their kids, and we invite you to dig deeper into it with us.

The study involved 52 fathers of sons or daughters aged 1-2 years. Researchers looked at how dads interacted with their kids and made MRI scans of their brains. They found that the kid’s gender has a direct effect on how the relationship with their dad will look like.

Spending time with dad

First of all, fathers of daughters sing and whistle more with them than with their sons, while fathers of sons are more involved in rough and forceful play, like tumbling and poking. Thanks to this, boys are more likely to be popular among their peers.

Fathers’ response to emotions

Dads have a greater response to their daughters’ happy faces. But fathers of sons reacted more to their neutral facial expressions. This can mean that men with daughters enjoy seeing their kids’ happy faces more than those with sons.

Dad’s talking

Fathers even talk differently with their kids. With their sons, dads use achievement language. But with their daughters, they talk more about their body and emotions and use analytical language. Such communication can lead to body dissatisfaction in girls as well as bring them academic success.

Attention from dad

And last but not least, fathers are more engaged and more responsive to daughters than sons. They also pay more attention to girls and their sadness. This can help girls better develop empathy, but boys may become emotionally closed adults.

Love is the answer

As you can see, these seemingly small details and actions can have a huge impact on a kid’s future life. Of course, each parent chooses the way to raise their kid. But it’s worth remembering that gender is not everything and love is way more important.

Do you believe a kid’s gender influences their relationship with their parents? Or is it all about love and care?