Children love their toys, comics and playtime with friends. But what they cherish the most is the time spent with their parents. For children, both parents are nothing less than the ultimate gift. They love to have them around, talk to them, play with them and wish for them to be there. In short, children want both parents’ presence in their life all the time. For working fathers, it is usually difficult to spend more time with children. But every moment that fathers spend with their children goes a long way to build a stronger character. Nothing or no one can replace a father in a child’s life.

A father’s constant and timely presence positively affects a child in more ways than one. So even if you can’t spend the whole day with your child, being there at the right moments is all that matters. For working fathers, here’s a set of benefits that their children will reap when they are around.

Better health: Children who spend quality time with their fathers tend to be more mentally and physical healthy. A father’s absence leaves a negative impact on children and they usually fall ill easily. Researcher have also found that a father’s absence damages telomeres, vital pieces of DNA that protects cells. Children might feel stressed when their fathers are not around which can cause the loss in telomeres and lead to premature aging or even cancer.

Higher IQ: Yes! Fathers don’t have to be super intelligent to make their children smart as their presence alone will make it possible. A study found that regardless of your own intelligence your children will have higher IQs if you are involved in their childhood. Not just this, a father’s involvement in his child’s life makes her / him more socially mobile and skillful.

Positive aptitude: When it comes to understand everyday life and staying positive, children always look up to their fathers. Seeing their father go to work, coming back, assisting mom in the kitchen, and then sparing some time to play with them and helping complete their homework – all of this creates a positive image in children’s minds. They realise that every work their father does is important and keeps everyone happy. Which inculcates a positive aptitude in them towards family and life.

Improved self-esteem: A father’s presence can do wonders for his children. With each moment spent with their father, children grow more confident and develop higher self-worth. Be it at home or at social gatherings, a father’s involvement fills children with self-assurance and they feel very positive about themselves. Children, who have a big friend circle, feel very affirmative and proud when their father provides them with his valuable time and company.

Sense of safety: For children, a father is not just the one who provides for the family, but also who protects it from outsiders. When their father is around, children will feel safer and happy. Involved fathers also monitor their children’s everyday lives from close quarters and can safeguard them from any external danger. Also, children with involved fathers tend to stay away from bad influences.

Discipline adherence: When it comes to disciple children, father’s work with a firmer hand. Children see their father as the leader of the family and take his words rather more seriously. Also, fathers are more willing than mothers (because mothers are usually softer when it comes to children) to confront and enforce discipline in children. While mothers tend to reason with children, fathers put their foot down and show children who is the authoritative figure in the house.

Words will fall short to rightly describe a father’s importance in children’s lives. For them, fathers are guardians, role models, friends, guides, superheroes and much more. Fathers actually don’t have to do anything amazing to make a positive contribution to their children’s lives. Because at the end of the day it is their presence that matters. When a father is around, children feel empowered, optimistic and on top of the world. So the next time you spend some time with your children, remember that a few years down the line your presence will be the reason for their success and characteristic development.