Father’s Day is coming up this weekend (21/6) and this article from the Institute for Family Studies shows that a father is more likely to be involved with his children if he is married to the mother of his children.
The article cites studies showing that mothers are much more likely than fathers to act as ‘gatekeepers’ to their children. A father who is married to the mother of his children, will simply have more access to his children and therefore more time with them.
Here’s one key passage: “A man’s physical proximity to his children and their mother has long been linked to positive father involvement. On average, dads who do not live with their kids are less involved in their lives and have poorer relationships with them than resident fathers. A 2013 CDC report found that dads who lived with their children were significantly more likely to eat meals, play with, and read to their children regularly than non-resident fathers.”
The article can be read in full here [1].