The Good Men Project: Pay and Play - To Enhance Early Childhood Development, Fathers Should Do Both

In an article by COE Professor Natasha Cabrera in the Good Men Project, Dr. Cabrera discusses the role dads play in early life socioemotional development of children, arguing that playtime with dad is important to childhood development.

Dr. Cabrera describes how childhood play with dads supports social and emotional learning, cognitive development, and child development in low-income families. Dr. Cabrera also highlights policy and practical considerations, such as parental leave, that provide opportunities for dads to get away from work and engage in playtime with their children, helping to grow positive relationships between dads and their children.

Dr. Cabrera is a professor in the Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology and the director of UMD’s Family Involvement Laboratory. Her research interests include parent involvement in schools and children’s achievement as well as ethnic differences in parenting behaviors and children’s outcomes.