The Involvement of Fathers through Children's Extracurricular Activities and Children's Global Self-Worth:

A Case of Swimming Schools

Abstract

This study examines how paternal involvement through children's swimming lessons influences their school-aged children's attitudes toward lessons and global self-worth. In Japan, various types of extracurricular activities have become popular among children. Swimming lessons, in particular, are the most popular. In this paper, I analyze paternal involvement through children's swimming lessons. Specifically, I examine how the involvement of fathers through such lessons influences children's attitudes toward their lessons, and how a father's and mother's cooperation influences both paternal involvement through these lessons and the global self-worth of the children. The results of this study are as follows: Paternal roles and the father's cooperation with the mother are positively associated with perception toward children's lessons, and paternal perception toward and the mother's cooperation with the father in children's lessons are positively associated with paternal involvement through children's lessons. Moreover, paternal involvement through children's lessons is positively associated with children's attitudes toward their lessons, although paternal perception is not related to children's attitudes. Additionally, the mother's cooperation with the father in children's lessons is positively associated with the children's global self-worth, whereas that of fathers is not.