farmdoc's blog post number 187

Disraeli famously said ‘There are lies, damned lies and statistics’. Having written a PhD thesis, and doing work which turns on the critical evaluation of data/evidence, I look at all statistics with scepticism until proven otherwise. I thought I’d never be surprised by one – until last Monday when the Australian reported a survey revealing that on average Australian fathers spend six minutes alone with each of their children each week-day. That’s 72 seconds per week-day. I’ve never studied child developmental psychology, but intuition tells me all infants and children (and adolescents and young adults too, for all I know) need adult love, attention and role modelling. If so, then suboptimal paternal contact – an average 72 seconds per day is definitely suboptimal – will result in maldevelopment, with variable consequences depending on circumstances. I’ve previously written about what a dreadful father I once was. It’s entirely possible I was under the 72 second average with each of my daughters. I’m ashamed. I did what I could with the resources I had – which on both counts was pitifully little. I can’t undo the past, or I would. But for me it’s never too late to acknowledge a failing – no matter how huge, as here, or how tiny – sincerely and respectfully apologise, and try hard to do better in future. Try bloody hard. Very bloody hard.