Last updated on December 22nd, 2023 at 03:51 pm
It’s a question that has been debated for centuries – which parent influences the child most? The answer, of course, is that both parents play an important role in shaping their child’s behavioral and emotional development. However, recent research suggests that the mother’s influence may be stronger than the father’s, particularly when it comes to the development of empathy.
While it is important for both parents to be involved in their child’s life, studies have shown that the mother is typically the primary caregiver and has the most influence on a child’s development during the 1st few years of life. After that, the father’s influence begins to increase as the child grows older.
One study found that when infants were shown a series of emotional facial expressions, they were more likely to imitate the expressions of the female faces they saw than those of the male faces. This suggests that they were more attuned to the emotions of the women around them.
Other research has shown that mothers are more likely than fathers to provide emotionally supportive behaviors, such as affection, eye contact, and verbal encouragement. This is believed to play a role in promoting the development of empathy in children.
So, while both parents are important in a child’s development, it seems that the mother’s influence may be slightly stronger when it comes to fostering empathy.
