Our society has divided roles, dad being the bread-earner and mother is the caregiver. And if someone sees a dad getting involved with the kids, chances are, he is either appreciated or criticised. Now it’s time to accept that a father is not a babysitter or helper. He is also a parent and if he takes care of the baby, something exceptionally good or bad isn’t happened. It’s absolutely normal.
How the role of father influences child’s relationships
A child’s relationship with his father can affect all her relationships from birth to death, including those with friends, lovers and spouses.
Girls will look for men who hold the patterns of their father. By projecting an image of a caring and loving person they can inspire their child to look for those traits in any man. And reaching out for such partner will help them lead a happy life.
Boys on the other hand, will model themselves after their fathers. They will look for their father’s approval in everything they do, and copy those behaviors that they recognize as both successful and familiar. If father is loving, kind, supportive and protective, boys will want to be that.
A child learns the norms of this world by imitating and following those in his immediate surroundings. So all those acts of involvement or rejection towards the child are really going to play a major role in shaping the personality of the child.
How Good Are Millennial Dads As Parents
Millennial dads want to do more than just being a father. They want to be hands-on dad. They know there is much more to parenting than just financial support. They know they want to be dads that their wives need or most importantly, their kids need.
A study performed by the Pew Research Center finds that today’s dads are far more involved when compared to their parents’ and grandparents’ generations. “In 2016, fathers reported spending, on average, eight hours a week on child care – about triple the time they provided back in 1965,” the study reports. “And fathers put in about 10 hours a week on household chores in 2016, up from four hours in 1965.”
And while the numbers aren’t exactly equal yet—most studies are still finding moms do more—the scales are getting closer and closer to being balanced with each passing year.
Ways in which dads can be involved with kids/babies
Changing diapers/ Getting him dressed
This activity is surely going to increase affection and understanding between both the father and child. The child will be closer to his dad and this will lead to a firm foundation for the relationship between the two.
Singing lullabies/reading to him
What’s more fatherly than singing your child to sleep and then watching him sleep peacefully . Reading stories to your child can give you an opportunity to expose your child to various ideologies through stories and maybe teaching morals by means of a story so that he doesn’t learn wrong norms by his own.
Taking him for a stroller ride / walk him
Taking your child for a walk can be a really enriching experience. You will get to know various new things about your child, about his new friends, what he has learned recently and these all things will create a friendly environment between you two.
If the baby is newborn take him for a stroller ride. This way a father can connect with the baby at a very early stage.
Play with him/coach him
What’s a better father-child moment than playing or coaching her/him about a new sport. It will help a father understand the child’s perspective better. A father can combine his walk/sports time with his baby’s playtime.. This will also be good exercise to remain fit.
Studies show that if a father is affectionate, supportive and involved, he can contribute greatly to a child’s cognitive, language and social development. It also helps in academic achievement, a strong inner core resource, sense of well-being and good self-esteem.
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