According to parental involvement groups such as the PTA, more fathers are taking a hands-on approach and getting involved in their children’s education.
Although men comprise just 10 percent of overall PTA members, this proportion increased by about 1 percent during each of the past five years to reach the highest level in the group’s history, the New York Times reports.
A changing family dynamic, in which moms and dads share parenting skills and responsibilities equally, may be partly responsible for the increase.
Another factor may be that contemporary men seem increasingly to be seeking satisfaction through a balance between work and home life, instead of being focused solely on career.
Plus, now there is more public awareness about the tangible benefits of fatherly involvement.
According to U.S. Department of Education, fathers who use their parenting skills to get involved in their child’s school life boost the chances of their kids’ success.
These children are more likely to get A’s, enjoy their classes and avoid disciplinary problems, data from the National Household Education Survey reveals.
If hesitant fathers are looking for a role model for getting involved at school, the incoming PTA president is Charles J. Saylors – the first man to ever head up the organization.
Ordinary dads can also be an inspiration. Connecticut father Peter Huculak told the Republican-American that “for so long it’s always been the female that’s going to the school and the man kind of feels left out.”
Now a regular and committed PTA volunteer, he says, “We’re trying to show that the fathers, as well as mothers, need to have a strong presence in schools.”
Many school volunteer groups run programs aimed specifically at dads, which encourage men to sign up and use their parenting skills to be good role models and enhance children’s lives.