Role of the father econonic implications.

• Attachment research has come a considerable way since John Bowlby first asserted

  that a child can only ever form a secure and lasting monotropic bond with its mother. .
• Thus, at the time Bowlby was writing, childcare was seen as a mother's responsibility, and hers alone, whilst the father was free to carry out his 'natural' role as provider for the family.
• More recent research suggests that the father may fulfil a qualitatively different role from the mother.
• Crucially, this role is no less valuable in the child's upbringing, Psychological research has shown that both parents are equally capable of providing the emotional support necessary for healthy psychological development, and this understanding may promote more flexible working arrangements within the famil.
• It is now the norm in lots of households that the mother is the higher earner and so works Ionger hours, whilst many couples share childcare responsibilities across the working week.
• This means that modern parents are better equipped to maximise their income and contribute rore effectively to the economy