Mother, May I? Helping Moms Back Off So Dads Can Be Dads

Article here. Excerpt:

'The benefits of having a positive, involved father are well-documented by decades of research.

Now, scholars are focusing their microscopes on an obstacle to fathers' involvement: "gatekeeping" by mothers who control or hamper fathers' interactions with their children.

The findings reveal how women and men alike can trigger gatekeeping, which can cause tension between partners and dissatisfaction with parenting routines. As Father's Day nears, the research also sheds light on how dads can play a bigger role.

"The more we understand these patterns, the more parents will be able to make conscious and deliberate choices" about parenting, says Sarah Schoppe-Sullivan, assistant professor of human development at the Ohio State University.'