It goes without saying that dads have a pretty big impact on how their children turn out, but new research suggests that fathers are particularly adept at instilling persistence in their kids. According to a study from Brigham Young University, fathers who practiced what researchers called an “authoritative parenting style” (they expressed love but allowed a certain amount of autonomy and stressed accountability) were more likely to raise persistent children. Those persistent kids tended to do better in school and have fewer problems than their peers. “Fathers have a direct impact on how children perceive persistence and hope, and how they implement that into their lives,” says Randall Day, a professor at BYU and one of the study’s authors. “It’s important to say that moms can do this, too; but it turns out that when fathers use authoritative parenting, they have an impact on how their adolescents perceive themselves and how persistent they are in their lives.” (ABC News)