For many generations, fatherhood in India has mainly been linked with providing financial support, exercising discipline and exercising authority, whereas mothers have been expected to look after childcare and give emotional care. Even though this division was never universal, it became firmly established within patriarchal family arrangements.
At present, especially in urban India, this view is slowly changing (Motwani, 2024). An increasing number of fathers are taking part in feeding their children, doing their homework, attending to their healthcare and discussing their children’s emotions. The new type of fathers are active co-parents: one who sees childcare as a joint responsibility rather than something he only does occasionally.
The change can be seen because of gender expectations, the increasing number of women participating in paid work, and a better understanding of child development. Research concerning urban Indian families shows that fathers’ involvement is becoming more noticeable, even though traditional expectations still affect who carries out the various childcare tasks (Motwani, 2024).
The importance of this change goes beyond achieving equality within the household. According to developmental psychology, a father’s involvement, especially if it is warm and responsive, can help to promote children’s cognitive and emotional development (Sarkadi et al., 2008; Rodrigues et al., 2021).
Understanding the Active Co-Parent
Recent research makes a difference between being physically in a child’s life and taking an active role in it. Lamb looked at how the concept of paternal involvement has changed over time, and Pleck (2010) stressed engagement, warmth and a sense of responsibility as key aspects of fatherhood. A father who is involved does not simply attend a school meeting or only take his child out for a walk from time to time; he shares the day-to-day responsibilities, notices the child’s emotional changes and takes part in decisions regarding education and healthcare. Instead of waiting for the mother to point out every task before giving a helping hand, he offers assistance.
Imagine a two-income family in Bengaluru. Although both parents get home from work, their child has to work on a school project. Rather than supposing that the mother will look after it, the father takes on the responsibility while she is preparing dinner. On a different day, they swap tasks depending on their schedules. This situation is an example of co-parenting since both parents take responsibility for child care.
It is important to note that helping implies that the responsibility mainly lies with one parent, whereas co-parenting treats child care as a joint duty. That said, the shift is still not equal. Motwani’s (2024) exploratory study looks at the changes in childcare practices among urban Indian fathers, and Lobo et al. (2025) show how economic insecurity, long working hours and gender norms can limit paternal involvement in lower-income urban households.
What Developmental Psychology Tells Us
Developmental psychology understands the child’s social, emotional and intellectual capabilities. A key discovery is that development is not merely the result of a caregiver being present but also depends on the quality of the relationship. The theory of attachment, which was developed by John Bowlby and later extended by Mary Ainsworth’s research, stresses the significance of having reliable care relationships for children’s feeling of security (Bowlby, 1982).
Men, just as mothers and other caregivers do, can act as sources of reassurance and support. For instance, if a young child falls while learning to cycle, a father who recognises the child’s fear and then gently encourages the child to make another attempt enables the child to gain both a sense of emotional security and the experience of manageable challenges. These circumstances can help to build confidence and coping abilities, although it can be noted that no one particular event ensures a specific developmental result.
Evidence from systematic reviews supports this view. Sarkadi and colleagues (2008) looked at 24 publications that included longitudinal studies; in 22 of these studies, a positive link was found between paternal involvement and at least some of the developmental outcomes, such as cognitive development, psychological well-being and behaviour. Yet the fact that there is an association does not mean that paternal involvement on its own causes all of the benefits observed.
In a similar way, Rodrigues et al. (2021), in their meta-analysis of paternal sensitivity, found that paternal sensitivity was associated with children’s cognitive functioning, language skills and executive function. It was also linked to better emotion regulation. However, in their analysis, it was not significantly related to overall socio-emotional functioning. This point is important. Although the research shows that responsive fatherhood has value, it does not provide a basis for saying that every father who is involved will automatically improve every area of a child’s development.
Fatherhood and Emotional Intelligence
Imagine a ten-year-old boy who loses a football game and then angrily drops the ball. Instead of ignoring the child’s disappointment or telling him that boys shouldn’t cry, the father can acknowledge the child’s frustration, talk over what had gone wrong and get the child to congratulate the other team. This kind of response accepts the emotion without justifying the inappropriate behaviour. It is an example of what is known as emotion coaching, helping children to identify and control their feelings while at the same time keeping reasonable boundaries (Gottman et al., 1996).
In their study, Gottman et al. (1996) looked at parents’ emotional beliefs and the connection between these and their children’s emotional experiences, stressing the importance of the way parents react to their children’s feelings. Active fatherhood also brings with it expectations about what it means to be masculine. By letting their sons show their sadness without humiliating them and by encouraging their daughters to express anger in a constructive way, fathers teach children that emotional expression should not be tied to gender.
These circumstances can help to develop empathy, communication, and the ability to regulate emotions. Emotional development is influenced by a number of factors, such as mothers, peers, teachers, individual temperament and the broader social environment. Involvement by fathers is one factor that contributes to emotional development, not the only solution.
Challenging Patriarchal Detachment
In traditional fatherhood, financial provision has usually been separated from emotional involvement. A father can pay for school, organise tuition and keep an eye on discipline while at the same time staying fairly distant from discussions about his child’s fears, friendships or disappointments. Although his concern might be real, children also need chances to feel that concern through interaction.
Actively involved co-parents challenge this separation of roles. Although financial security remains important, fathers recognise that it cannot replace emotional availability and participate in daily childcare, understanding that caregiving should not be the sole responsibility of mothers. This change also has consequences for gender equality. According to India’s Time Use Survey 2019, in urban areas 79.2 per cent of women aged six and over took part in unpaid domestic work, as against 22.6 per cent of men; for unpaid caregiving the corresponding figures were 26.3 per cent and 13.2 per cent (Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, 2020).
Although these figures are a sample of the general population and not just fathers, they do show that there is still a gender imbalance in unpaid work. When men take charge of preparing meals, go to parent-teacher conferences, or look after their sick children, they go a long way towards refuting the idea that household duties should naturally be the women’s. The children also see an example of cooperation and mutual respect in action. It is important, though, that participation should include real responsibility; if mothers have to keep reminding fathers about appointments, school supplies and daily routines, then the mental effort of looking after the home will still be uneven. True co-parenting means sharing not only the tasks but also the responsibility for remembering and organising them.
The Indian Urban Context: Progress and Contradictions
Urban India provides a good context in which fatherhood is changing. The rise in women’s employment, changing expectations among younger parents, and growing awareness of mental health have prompted a reexamination of traditional family roles. It would be wrong, though, to see these changes as representing a universal shift.
Motwani (2024) examines how childcare practices have changed across generations of urban Indian fathers and highlights challenges to traditional gender norms. The fathers in question might take on some of the responsibilities. However, they may still see other duties as mainly belonging to mothers.
Economic conditions also have an effect on the way people take part. In a qualitative study involving ten fathers of children between the ages of four and six from lower socioeconomic groups in Bengaluru, Lobo et al. (2025) looked at how working conditions and social expectations influence the role of caregivers. Their research shows that paternal involvement depends on more than an individual’s willingness to participate in parenting.
A man with flexible working hours will generally find it easier to go to school meetings. In contrast, a father who has an insecure job and whose working hours are unpredictable may find it more difficult. The fact that fathers have limited availability does not mean that they have less affection. The aim, then, should not be to enforce a single ideal image of the father figure. Rather, families and institutions need to provide opportunities for fathers in all different economic situations. This will allow them to take an active part in their children’s lives.
Conclusion: Fatherhood as a Relationship
The way fatherhood is evolving in urban India shows a steady shift. This shift moves away from the idea that a father’s main duty is to provide financial support (Motwani, 2024). An actively involved father participates in everyday parenting tasks. These include listening to his child after a difficult day, helping with schoolwork, setting boundaries, and providing reassurance.
Research into child development links positive father involvement with a number of beneficial results. These include improvements in cognitive development and emotion regulation (Rodrigues et al., 2021; Sarkadi et al., 2008). However, the quality of these interactions remains important. This is because children’s development depends on their relationships with various caregivers and the broader environment.
Advancement is still uneven. This is because traditional gender roles, financial difficulties and inflexible working conditions continue to affect family life (Lobo et al., 2025; Motwani, 2024). It suggests that meaningful change needs both individual dedication and support from institutions. Active fatherhood does not reduce the significance of mothers. Nor does it demand that all families adopt the same setup. Instead, it acknowledges that children’s emotional and practical needs are matters for both parents.
A father who listens, comforts, teaches and takes responsibility is not just assisting the mother; he is carrying out his own duty as a parent. The best way of assessing the evolution of fatherhood is to look at the children’s day-to-day experiences. This means knowing that their fathers are available not only as providers and authorities, but also as caregivers, confidants and reliable sources of support.
References +
- Bowlby, J. (1982). Attachment and Loss: Vol. 1. Attachment (2nd ed.). Basic Books. https://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN9780465005437
- Gottman, J. M., Katz, L. F., & Hooven, C. (1996). Parental meta-emotion philosophy and the emotional life of families. Journal of Family Psychology, 10(3), 243–268. https://doi.org/10.1037/0893-3200.10.3.243
- Lamb, M. E. (2000). The history of research on father involvement: An overview. Marriage & Family Review, 29(2–3), 23–42. https://doi.org/10.1300/J002v29n02_03
- Lobo, E., Jeong, J., Babu, G. R., Mukherjee, D., van Schayck, O. C. P., & Srinivas, P. N. (2025). Becoming fathers, becoming caregivers: A qualitative exploration of intersectional influences shaping caregiving in an urban poor South Indian setting. PLOS ONE, 20(10), e0334717. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0334717
- Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. (2020). Time Use in India—2019. Government of India. https://www.pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1660028
- Motwani, A. (2024). Fathers and childcare: Are gender social norms in India changing? Sociology Compass, 18(1), e13161. https://doi.org/10.1111/soc4.13161
- Pleck, J. H. (2010). Paternal involvement: Revised conceptualisation and theoretical linkages with child outcomes. In M. E. Lamb (Ed.), The Role of the Father in Child Development (5th ed.). Wiley. https://www.wiley.com/en-us/The+Role+of+the+Father+in+Child+Development%2C +5th+Edition-p-9780470405499
- Rodrigues, M., Sokolovic, N., Madigan, S., Luo, Y., Silva, V., Misra, S., & Jenkins, J. (2021). Paternal sensitivity and children’s cognitive and socioemotional outcomes: A meta-analytic review. Child Development, 92(2), 554–577. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13545
- Sarkadi, A., Kristiansson, R., Oberklaid, F., & Bremberg, S. (2008). Fathers’ involvement and children’s developmental outcomes: A systematic review of longitudinal studies. Acta Paediatrica, 97(2), 153–158. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1651-2227.2007.00572.x
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