Making friends can be hard for certain people, and it turns out it can be even harder if you don’t have a positive male role model in your life.

A psychology professor at the University of California, Riverside named Ross D. Parke argues that fathers play a huge role in the development of social skills for children. Kids look to their fathers as an example of how to have relationships, resolve conflict, and even to concentrate.

Parke says the bond between children and their father starts when the children are still infants and the way they learn to play with their fathers sets the stage for how they will develop social skills and make friends throughout their lives.

Parke’s research showed that fathers who suit their play to fit their kids’ abilities, who were sensitive to their needs while playing, and who could let their children know certain things through facial expressions (such as when to stop being rambunctious) had a big impact of their children and those kids made good friends with their peers.

These kids learned not to let their emotions spin out of control and their emotional intelligence allowed for them to manage relationships.

Parke’s studies also showed that children who played successfully with their fathers concentrated better, were polite, and maintained positive attitudes when faced with disappointment.

The research all points to children being much more well-adjusted when they have a father they can play successfully with. These children also receive advice from their dads about how to problem-solve.

All of these factors point to raising children that are emotionally stable and are able to maintain healthy relationships because of the examples and lessons they’ve learned from their fathers.

Now that you’re armed with that information, go out there and set the best example for all the kids you come into contact with!