Investigation Of 3-6 Years Old Children Father Parenting Behavior

Fathers play an important role in the growth of children, and have a unique influence on children’s overall development. The role of fathers is different from that of mothers and cannot be replaced by anyone. The main reason wich leads to this research is the contradiction between the lack of participation of fathers in child-parenting and the urgent requirements for fathers in child-growing.On the basic of existing related research finding and materials of fathers’ participation in child-parenting at home and abroad, this research takes3-6years old children’s fathers of three urban areas in Tianjin as study objects, and studies fathers from the perspective of fathers’ behavior in child rearing in order to learn the present state and features of fathers’ behavior in child rearing, in the hope of providing evidence for fathers’ effective involvement in child rearing. This research focuses on fathers’ basic knowledge, fathers’ knowledge of participating, the extent of family support, the frequency of participating, the content and forms of fathers’ participating, and factors, effective suggestions and measures.Using the adapted Inventory of Father Involvement made by Hawkins, this research analyzed more than510fathers to study the present state and features of fathers’ behavior in child rearing. The main findings are as follows:Generally, fathers’ idea about involvement in children-parenting is scientific and right; they can recognize the importance of early childhood education in family, and most fathers have a comprehensive understanding of the role of themselves; they can evaluate themselves objectively; most fathers feel confident about their ability of raising children but aren’t willing to learn to improve their parenting skills.Secondly, fathers can frequently involve in child rearing. And fathers’ behavior in child rearing emphasizes differently with a sequence of their favored behavior from the most to the least as "indirect support","emotional expression","encouragement and support","interaction and communication","attention and help","regulation". the most frequent activity fathers are involved in is "indirect support"(M=4.42), and the last one is "regulation"(M=3.36).Furthermore, many factors influence fathers’ behavior in child rearing, which may include the occupation of the father, the parenting ideas of father and the attitude of family members, etc. This research makes some suggestions for fathers, families and kindergartens to promote father’s participation.