Bonding With Your Children
For the balanced
growth of children strong family ties are crucial. Bond between mom and child
is established easily. Is it enough? Not really. The bond between father and
child is extremely important. Even father has to spend some time with children.
Try these easy ways to strengthen this relationship. The mother in the family
must take the initiative to this end.
The daddy-time. Father must set up a weekend to forge a strong
connection. The one-on-one time could be at breakfast or dinner, or movie and
ice cream, or an outdoor trip.
Let the daddy take over
bedtime duties. The brushing of teeth, followed by the prayer and story routine
etc. allows ample opportunities for bonding.
Help at home. Let the children and daddy form a team as they
tackle chores around the house. Let daddy be a teacher. Let him take over
homework and pour over notebooks and papers.
Let him step out with
kids. Let him take the children out
on a trip, be it a drive or a camping trip. Being in a new environment offers a
great opportunity for them to bond, and creates a cache of special memories
together.
To have an evening of fun,
laughter and bonding, bring out the board games. Be it Monopoly, Ludo or
Scrabble, indoor/outdoor games are super-fun family activities.
A visit to something
special to dad. Let him and the
children head out to a spot that is special to him. It could be a beach, park
or a fort-a place where as dad, he wants to show and share his memories with
his children.
As father, his role is crucial
at home and in the lives of children. So the father must be more involved.
There must be proper communication between wife and husband in the upbringing
of their children. Tell each other what you expect when it comes to childcare
and family. Speak up about what you want, not what you don’t. A positive frank
discussion will help avoid misunderstanding and arguments. For example, as
father, he may want to dress up your toddler in a skirt you don’t like. So
what? Let him work out his own methodology of childcare.
Try sending out the message
that even though you’re at home, the children can also reach out to daddy for
help. A ‘sorry baby, can you ask papa?’ or ‘How about stepping out with dad for
a bit?’ can tell children that they can lean on dad as well.
Often, mom is the biggest
impediment when it comes to dad-child bonding. How? She moves in and takes over
to do things her way. Resist this urge, and let the special people in your life
forge their own connection. Take note of all these things and offer positive
reinforcement.