It’s Father’s Day! And this blog is sure to brighten up the day of all the daddies who look like their kids (just like ours!) π
When moms get pregnant, we hope and pray our baby is healthy and everything about them is normal. If they will look like us or they have our eyes or lips like we wished for, that would be an awesome bonus!
Now that I am a mother, I could say that nothing warms my heart more than seeing my husband go crazy over our little angel. Because let’s be realistic, not all dads are excited to have a child especially if they’re not ready or married yet.Β Itβs easier for a mother to know the baby is hers, so I guess in some circumstances, the father may question his role. But man do I hope thatβs rare. I hope that in most cases, the father falls in love with his child from the minute he holds him/her, whether he/she has got dadβs chinky eyes or momβs curly hair.
Who wouldn’t love seeing a loving fatherΒ bonding with his baby? That is probably the happiest scene ever the momentΒ a child enters this world! But did you know that a study conducted at Binghamton University in New York concludes that babies who look more like their dads are actually healthier? And of course, we want to know WHY!
Babies who look like their dads are healthier because they receive more affection from them. And that extra affection ultimately impacts the babiesβ health.
Totally makes sense! So why does it matter if the baby looks like his/her dad?
Well, according to the Fragile Family and Child Wellbeing study, seeing a resemblance subconsciously ensures the baby is actually Dadβs, making him naturally want to spend more time bonding with his child. In fact, the study found that βthe dads who resemble their babies spent an average of 2.5 more days a month with the infants than others.β
No wonder Daddy Jaze couldn’t keep Ysha out of his sight! π
A study coauthor and economics professor at Binghamton University,Β Solomon Polachek, told Business Insider:Β “The main explanation is that frequent father visits allow for greater parental time for care-giving and supervision, and for information gathering about child health and economic needs.”
It’s been said that ”it takes a village to raise a child”Β but according to this research, having an involved father certainly helps!
Many evolutionary sociobiology studies support using fatherβchild resemblance to explain a putative father’s investment. Because women do not need facial resemblance cues to decide whether to provide care, we expect baby looks affect child developmental outcomes only through a father’s investments.
I guess the good part of these findings is that they promote bonding time between the fathers and babies β since itβs clear that this special time does affect the babyβs well-being. The study reveals that the babies who got more attention from their fathers had βsignificantly more favorable health conditionsβ, such as being less likely to have to go to the ER or spend time in the hospital.
I am really very grateful that Ysha has not been hospitalized ever for 2 years! Guess I have to thank her dad for that too, then. π
Honestly, I cannot imagine a scenario in which a dad doesnβt instantly want to bond with his child. Ysha resembles her daddy Jaze in various ways, she pretty much is his clone! But I doubt heβd have hesitated to scoop up and snuggle the tiny being even if it was a little monkey came out of there. π But, if youβre a dad, and youβre not feeling that natural bond, you may want to check out what this study says.
So hereβs the most important takeaway: Dads, snuggle your babies. Their bond with Mom is important, but it’s gonna happen naturally. That’s given! They lived inside us for 9 months! And especially for moms who breastfeed like me, the babies are getting in that extra bonding time in a multitude of ways.
But your bond is crucial too, even if it takes a bit of extra work. Your child will feel loved, connected, and at least according to this study, healthier, if he sees your face more often. So get ready to up your patty-cake game! Your child is depending on it.
Happy Father’s Day to all the selfless, hard-working, loving and BEST dads of the world! We thank you for all you wonderful contribution to our kids. Financially & Physiologically. Hahaha!
What do you think about this study? Leave a comment below and let’s talk!
Love,
Momma Nish
Wow this is crazy to hear! My daughter is her fathers twin! Everyone immediately says she looks like her father and her personality is all his haha! Thanks for sharing β€οΈ