A Matter of Timing: Age at Transition to Parenthood and Father Involvement

This study investigates whether the age of becoming a father is related to many kinds of involvement with children among married, resident fathers in the second wave of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics’ Child Development Supplement (n = 1114 fatherchild pairs). Contrary to some prior literature, there is no association between fatherhood timing and the total amount of time fathers and children spend interacting. However, men who became parents at relatively late ages tend to be more involved in activities that are less normative. Social class, race, and differing beliefs about the value of investing time in children best explain why later-timing fatherhood is associated with some kinds of involvement. The results demonstrate the importance of studying many types of fathering, including those which are less developmentally critical.