Seeing how this week is father’s day, I thought a dad-blog post would be appropriate. This is a step away from my usual subject matter, but I’m sure most of you won’t mind.

Allow me to bring your attention to an article featured on the Wall Street Journal today. The headline says, “Life With Father: What Kids Get From Time With Dad.” It just brought to my mind how much I am looking forward to being a dad.

If a dad can’t be Mr. Mom, what can he be? A growing body of research offers new insight. Fathers can have a distinct impact on children beyond that of mothers, and in many cases without regard to the fact that they often spend less time with their kids, researchers say. Specifically, dads’ early play and the way they talk to their toddlers are emerging as special “father functions” that have a particular and lasting effect.

The findings aren’t just about a parent’s gender per se. Mothers and fathers stimulate children through the same psychological processes, researchers say. But mothers can only do so much; fathers have an additional impact, over and above that of mothers. Also, men have a tendency to behave differently with children. After defining good parenting for decades as what warm, nurturing mothers typically do, researchers now are also beginning to see how behaviors characteristic of fathers can shape children too. Fathers tend to engage kids in more rough-and-tumble play, for example.

It’s good to see the WSJ celebrating the differences between male and female, and the impact this has on children!

Dad, Happy Fathers day!