In this series, we meet two men who are dadding differently, and the fatherhood scientist who’s tracking the rise of more involved dads. Fatherhood in focus #2: Anna Machin, evolutionary anthropologist and mother-of-two No longer just breadwinners or disciplinarians, the shift that modern fathers have undergone is of huge value to society, Machin says. ‘Involved.’ There, in a single word: the modern dad. But, from around six months, when children are more “developmentally ready”, opportunities for dads to build connection accelerate rapidly. 'Dads are as biologically primed to parent as mums,' explained Anna Machin.