What Are Dads For?

Impact of Fathers (01:53)
Professor Robert Winston investigates the role fathers play in the lives of the 25 children in his study. With changes in parenting trends, fathers are taking a bigger part in childcare.

Helena Young (05:32)
Barry Young is nearly 60 and semi-retired, which gives him time to spend with his only child. Barry and Jeanette are expecting a second child but worry how it will affect Helena if something goes wrong. Helena was the only one to survive from a set of triplets conceived through IVF.

Parys Lapper (05:09)
Parys has a close relationship with Alison, his disabled single mother. Parys' father has never been around and Parys does not want to talk about him.

Charlotte Langeveld (03:50)
Richard Langeveld believes supporting Charlotte is the best thing he can do as a father. Richard and Charlotte's mother separated when Charlotte was three. Charlotte does not like to talk about it.

Charlotte Goldsmith (04:43)
Charlotte Goldsmith lives in London with her brother Tyler and mother Emma. Emma initially agreed to allow their father Paul see them, but he rarely arrived. Paul now wants to see Charlotte again, but Emma refuses.

Nathan Price (06:16)
Nathan likes spending time in his dad's art studio. Richard works hard to support the family and spends little time with Nathan. Despite intending to split parenting tasks evenly, most duties fall to Nathan's mother Ruth.

Helena's Anxiety (05:11)
Jeanette is diabetic and has been hospitalized multiple times during her pregnancy. Helena recognizes her parents' fears about something going wrong and Barry works to keep her calm.

Dual Homes (05:44)
Almost half of fathers lose contact with their children after separations or divorces. Charlotte and her sister Jasmine stay with their dad two days a week in the family's old house. Langeveld feels the situation has made him a more involved parent.

Parys' Caregivers (04:51)
Alison has been traveling more and wishes a family member could stay with Parys. A caregiver from an agency usually looks after him when she is away; it is often a different person each time.

Empathy Test (02:26)
Involved fathers help children develop empathy. Winston uses ice cream and a "rigged" spoon to test the children's levels of empathy.

Rubin Bayfield (04:23)
Rubin's mother Debbie initially did not intend for Rubin to have contact with his father Ian. Though he did not like spending time with Ian at first, he now looks forward to his visits.

Parental Bonds (07:31)
Ian demonstrates a strong bond with Rubin, but distance makes them unsure of each other. Nathan and Richard also have a strong bond, despite Richard's frequent distractions with work.

Credits: Child Of Our Time 2005: What Are Dads For? (00:40)
Credits: Child Of Our Time 2005: What Are Dads For?