Brandon Eddy spends his 20-minute drive home from work getting into dad mode. At home, his three children just want to hang out with their dad. And their dad just wants to hang out with them. Sunday marks Father’s Day, a celebratory tradition that’s over 100 years old, and is usually spent grilling hamburgers or playing outside, basking in the sun. Father’s Day is meant to honor dads for their role in a family, and new research shows that role is evolving.

With Father's Day behind us, an expert pointed out today's dads are more involved in their children's lives, leading to enhanced parent-child relationships as well as better overall mental wellness for entire families. Brandon Eddy, assistant professor of couple and family therapy at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, said dads want to be more than just breadwinners or a disciplinarian. They want to be involved in all aspects of child-rearing, which provides both parent and child a more enriching experience.

Father’s Day falls in June which also happens to be Men’s Health Month. It’s the perfect time to celebrate all the amazing dads out there and encourage them to prioritize their health so they live long, vibrant lives for us all to enjoy together.

How's your health, dad? How involved are you in your family's life? Studies show today's fathers are more involved than they've ever been, according to surveys from the Pew Research Center and family therapy journals. And according to UNLV staff, the research also shows that children with affectionate dads who spend quality time with them are more likely to be engaged in school and go to college, be more social, and exhibit more self-confidence. They’re also less likely to have issues with substance abuse or encounter legal troubles.

From tossing baseballs to firing up the barbecue grill, many Americans associate the month of June with Father’s Day and celebrating the start of summer with their dads. June is also Men’s Health Month, and Brandon Eddy — a professor and researcher with UNLV’s Couple and Family Therapy Program — says all that quality time doesn’t just strengthen relationships, it’s also great for mental wellness.

From tossing baseballs to firing up the barbecue grill, many Americans associate the month of June with Father’s Day and celebrating the start of summer with their dads. June is also Men’s Health Month, and Brandon Eddy — a professor and researcher with UNLV’s Couple and Family Therapy Program — says all that quality time doesn’t just strengthen relationships, it’s also great for mental wellness.