ACTIVE FATHERS STRENGHTEN CHILDRENS SELF-CONFIDENCE

Famous Montenegrin goal keeper and member of Montenegros national football team Vukasin Poleksic will play football with children from the preschool Osmijeh at the terrains of the training camp of the Football Federation of Montenegro in Stari aerodrom at 10.30am on Thursday, October 8, 2009. UNICEF Representative Ms. Noala Skinner will visit the city stadium and give media statement together with Mr. Poleksic in order to promote active involvement of fathers in raising their children in Montenegro. Through this event, Football Federation of Montenegro will support UNICEF and the Ministry of Health campaign The Early Years-An Opportunity of a Lifetime.

The campaign is based on the results of UNICEFs research from June 2009, which among other things showed that:

41% of mothers mainly visited the doctor alone during pregnancy
Only 7% of fathers are present at the delivery
37% of breastfeeding mothers are without any help in relation to the nutrition and breastfeeding, cleaning and bathing the child
59% of fathers does not know how their child is fed
Only 7% of fathers are involved in teaching a child his/her first moral principles what is good and what is bad
On average, Montenegrin parents read a story to and with their children only once a week
Fathers participate less in education activities, but more often watch TV and go for walks with children

Researches have proved that fathers who actively support their partner during pregnancy and talk to the baby while still in the stomach, are likely to have better relationships with their children. Men can get involved in the parenthood during the pregnancy by accompanying the woman to the medical checks and watching the baby on the ultrasound monitor; supporting healthy lifestyle during pregnancy and going together with their partner to antenatal classes in order to become familiar with the pregnancy and the delivery.

Studies show that when men play a significant role in their childrens upbringing from birth, they do better in school, score higher on intelligence tests, have more self-confidence and experience behavioural problems more rarely. Fathers active involvement in their children upbringing is equally important for boys and girls.

Promoting a more active role of fathers is one of the three topics of the 3-month awareness raising campaign The Early Years An Opportunity of a Lifetime, which UNICEF and the Ministry of Health started on August 1, 2009. The other two topics are: promotion of breastfeeding and alternatives to physical punishment of children. It is scientifically proved that the early years are crucial and that neglect in this period can have long-term consequences. The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness that in no other time in life one learns and develops so quickly and intensively as during the early years, which makes this period an opportunity of a lifetime.