Commentary

Fathers rank only fourth in popularity among Czech children. Among younger kids aged 6 to 12, they drop even further, to sixth place. In both cases, dads are slightly outranked by aunts and uncles, friends, and even coaches or club leaders. This comes from a 2023 study by SC&C for the Solvo Institute.

This finding was deeply surprising, and, unfortunately, it was confirmed again in another study conducted by IPSOS for us in May this year, focusing on Generation Z. When asked “Whom do you trust the most?”, only 9% of young men and just 3% of young women answered “my dad.” I don’t know about you, but to me, that’s absolutely alarming. In my surroundings, I see many fathers who are genuinely involved with their children from an early age. It gave me the impression that things were getting better — despite the fact that officially, only about 2% of Czech fathers take any parental leave at all. That said, I also read many stories in one Facebook group from frustrated mothers. They describe living with the father of their children, yet feeling as though he’s not really present in the household, still living his own parallel life filled with beer, friends, and video games, while ignoring his kids. In better scenarios, at least these fathers work and financially support the family while the mother is on maternity or parental leave. In worse ones (which, sadly, aren’t rare), they question every single receipt. But simply playing the role of breadwinner is not enough to build a real relationship with your child.

There are countless studies underlining how important fathers are in a child’s life. For example, one American study shows that the presence of a loving, involved father significantly reduces risky behavior in adolescence, improves academic performance, and positively influences future relationships in the children’s own adult lives. Still, many dads continue to believe that mothers are naturally better caregivers for babies, and that their role only really begins once the child reaches a certain age. Some even still think they should focus mainly on sons, to pass on the “right” masculine values.

But as our research shows, if fathers aren’t engaged from the very beginning, it becomes much harder to form a truly close relationship later on. It makes sense, if you don’t know how your child reacts, what they like, or what scares them… if you lack patience with them… the connection will suffer. The result? In the Czech Republic, fathers are neither highly trusted nor particularly loved by their children. And that’s a huge missed opportunity. It’s something worth changing.