Dads Tuning In to Kids: Preliminary Evaluation of a Fathers' Parenting Program

We investigated outcomes of Dads Tuning In to Kids, a new seven-session group program targeting paternal emotion-socialization practices, which are related to children's social and emotional functioning. In a randomized control trial with 162 fathers of children between 3 and 6 years of age, intervention fathers (n = 87) and waitlist control fathers (n = 75) completed questionnaires at baseline (pre-program) and 10 weeks later (post-program). Compared to control fathers, intervention fathers statistically increased in empathy, encouragement of emotion expression, and parenting efficacy, and decreased in emotion-dismissing beliefs, dismissive reactions to children's negative emotions, and hostile parenting responses. They also reported improved child behavior. These findings offer preliminary support for this program for fathers.