Separated mothers and fathers are "damaging" youngsters by sharing their care, skilled claims

She argues that “When folks say that it’s ‘only fair’ for a father and mother to share their five-yr-previous daughter on alternate weeks, they suggest it is honest to the adults – who see her as a possession and her presence as their correct – not that it is honest to the little one.”

Ms Leach said when lawyers bid for their consumer to have overnight accessibility with their young children they are ignoring evidence about the distressing and damaging influence on the little one.

Leach said the rights of the child should often outweigh these of the mother and father and added: “It can be damaging to the child to divide time equally among the parents.”

Ian Maxwell, from Households Require Fathers, advised the Independent on Sunday that society had moved on from classic attachment concept when bonds in between mother and child have been noticed as the strongest.

He extra: “The bond in between fathers and children is just as critical and we would question the evidence Ms Leach is citing for the primacy of the maternal bond.”

He mentioned her argument did not accord with widespread sense was described her claims as “worrying.”

Leach has previously drawn criticism for her prior bestselling guide, Your Little one &amp Kid: From Birth to Age 5, published. In this she claimed only mothers could care properly for their children.

She has also attracted controversy following she claimed scientific proof showed that leaving a infant to cry could affect the improvement of its brain and make it prone to nervousness in later on life.

It comes as a feel tank recommended that operating fathers need to be provided the chance to perform a larger part in early parenting, via an entitlement to four weeks of paid leave following the birth of their little one.

The IPPR argues that this doubling of the present paternity leave entitlement of just two weeks should be combined with a doubling of the degree of pay out and paid at least the nationwide minimum wage.

They claim that more than 400,000 operating dads a 12 months would benefit.

Only fifty five per cent of fathers consider the complete 2 weeks off perform when their child is born and a single third of eligible fathers do not take any of their statutory leave at all. Most state this is due to the fact they cannot afford to take the entitlement.

The proposed four weeks of paternity leave would be a time period of leave particularly for fathers that can not be taken by mothers. The IPPR also argues that operating dads need to also be capable to get twice as significantly paid time off to go with their parenters to hospital scans and midwife appointments.

Kayte Lawton, IPPR Senior Study Fellow, mentioned: “New dad and mom need to have time away from operate to care for their youthful children, and to strengthen their partnership with each and every other at what can be a hugely pleasant but also very stressful time. However, this is frequently difficult for fathers since they have limited entitlements to paid depart, and so they usually assume the part of breadwinner although their companion is on maternity leave.

“Fathers who get a lot more than a few days off around the birth of their little one are much more probably to be actively concerned in raising their little one than people who do not. Fathers’ better involvement in family daily life can make it easier for mothers to return to work following taking maternity leave, which helps to increase the family’s income and lessen the influence of motherhood on women’s careers.”

Separated mothers and fathers are "damaging" youngsters by sharing their care, skilled claims