More than biology alone, it’s marriage that turns a “father” into dear old Dad. The recent University of Maryland study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family, shows that tying the knot can help the kiddies. Biologically related or not, men who are married to mothers tend to show more warmth and spend more time with their wives and children.


“We found that when you examine the same fathers, children spend as much time with married stepfathers as with married biological fathers. Marriage between the mother and father, whether he’s the biological or stepfather makes a difference. Children benefit when their mother marries or remarries.”