LDS Church News - New BYU study examines quality time with dad

It's a weeknight in anytown USA and the father of three children glances at the clock. It's 9 p.m. It's going to be another late night at work. Maybe he can make it home to tuck the kids in bed. The words of President Harold B. Lee in his book, "Stand Ye in Holy Places," illuminate his mind, "The most important of the Lord's work you will ever do will be the work you do within the walls of your own home." A tinge of guilt pulsates through his body. His thoughts turn to a week-long family vacation planned in a couple months. He'll make it up to them then. That'll be time well spent.

When it comes to spending time with children and the effects derived from that contact, the positive evidence both temporal and spiritual is overwhelming. Prophets and apostles have spoken at length on the responsibilities of fathers in the home. Several studies done by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services resolve that fatherlessness increases everything from drug abuse to school dropout rates. Noted sociologist Dr. David Popenoe, quoted in a 2006 white paper from the Department of Health and Human Services, said, "Fathers are far more than just 'second adults' in the home. Involved fathers bring positive benefits to their children that no other person is as likely to bring."

Photo by Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

When it comes to spending time with children and the effects derived from that contact, the positive evidence both temporal and spiritual is overwhelming. Prophets an apostles have spoken on many occasions about the importance of fathers in the home.

When an involved father wants to spend time with his children, the key is to know what types of activities make the most positive impact. A new study by BYU researchers says youth feel a higher level of family cohesion and functionality when dad simply spends more time playing board games, watching a movie or eating a meal together. These activities fall into a category called core family leisure time.

A second set of activities called balanced leisure activities consists of things done outside the home like a family vacation. These may require more planning, time and money. The results from balanced leisure activities are not always as effective as core leisure activities in strengthening the family. Lydia Buswell, then a graduate student in the Recreation Management program, was the lead author on the study. She said, "A family that has bonding experiences at home first will have them away from home. It appears that it doesn't happen the other way around."

Fathers may believe that one big event or family trip will make up for missed days in the home. The study says otherwise. Neil Lundberg, one of the professors who worked on the study, said, "We spend so much effort on the big-tickets items thinking that it's the most important thing for our families, when really, more time with our kids on day-to-day activities will suffice."

The research drew conclusions from a survey given to fathers and youth in 647 U.S. households of varying backgrounds with each family having at least one youth between the ages of 11 and 15. Ramon Zabriskie, a Marriott school professor working on the study, said, "Findings from both the father and youth perspective indicated core family leisure satisfaction as the single greatest contributor to all aspects of family functioning (cohesion, adaptability, and total family functioning), even after controlling for sociodemographic variables such as annual income, family size, history of divorce, level of education and unemployment."

Overall, the study indicates both fathers and youth agree that the single greatest predictor of family cohesion, family adaptability and overall family functioning was when a father was involved in quality core family leisure activities. Even when a child is at the age where friends seem to be more important than family, the research indicated time with a father helped the family. Sister Buswell said, "? When the fathers and youth were satisfied with the quality of the leisure the fathers were doing in the home, the stronger the relationship to family cohesion, family adaptability, and family functioning. Balance activities that fathers did with their families showed no relationship to family cohesion, adaptability or functioning."

rmorgenegg@desnews.com

Alan Hawkins, a professor in the BYU School of Family Life, was also a coauthor on the study.

Examples of core leisure activities:

Eating a meal together

Playing board games

Watching TV and movies

Playing sports in the yard/park

Playing video games

Attending children's performances

Gardening

Reading books

Examples of balance leisure activities:

Eating out

Shopping

Sporting events

Vacations

Boating and fishing

Visiting the zoo

Camping

Hiking

Source: http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/62570/New-BYU-study-examines-quality-time-with-dad.html

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