Father time key to well-being

Fathers can shake off their "assistant parent" tag by spending more time with their children without having mothers around. They would improve their parenting skills and the family would benefit if fathers and children got together more, an Australian study found. "Kids need their fathers for them to be around and doing the organising part of their lives. Our culture is to leave it all to mum," said one of the study's authors, University of Melbourne academic Margot Prior. The study, published in December in the journal Early Child Development and Care, involved 110 families in Melbourne with children aged between three and 12. Fathers who spent significant time with their children said they felt the youngsters' well-being was improved, their own sense of worth rose and it promoted them from the role of "assistant parent".