Revealed! 4 ways covid-19 is fostering father-child bond
Fathers can get quite busy 24/7 every day, with very little time on their hands except on weekends.
A typical day in a busy dad's life starts from Monday morning meetings that probably begin at 8:00 am to board meetings (right after spending about two hours in a conference room) then meetings with team members. So, just imagine how much stress they have to deal with, in a day, little wonder there’s no time for the kids till the weekend.
It’s interesting how this covid-19 pandemic although a curse, is a blessing in disguise strengthening family bonds and relationships; particularly those between spouses and of course father and child.
Although the parent-child bond varies between families, the reality of father and child bonding at childhood isn't one so many of us can speak to, except during teenage and adulthood; because children generally have a hard time figuring out how to approach their dad’s since they’re barely available, while mums, on the other hand, have all the time.
Recently, there are a few things dads now yield themselves to concerning their kids and it has impacted the kind of bond they have with their kids. Have a look!
Quality time with the kids
With reduced board meetings and long hours at the worksite, even with a stay-at-home work schedule, dads now have more time to spend with the kids, playing games, watching TV shows, or recorded football matches together and parenting alongside mum. There’s more quality time with the children than they’ve ever had and some increased happiness in shared caregiving as they’re now developing relationships with their kids and bonding.
Help out with care giving
You’d think women are naturally designed to change diapers and feed the kids until you see a devoted dad with time on his hands. Fathers are now more involved with caregiving for their little ones as they feel the need to give care now more than ever. They help out with feeding the kids, keeping them busy while mum cooks, changing diapers, they even know when their babies feel hungry.
More play time with the kids
It’s fun playing with your little ones, but it’s more fun when dad is around during playtime. Children look forward to spending quality time with someone they look up to, and in this case, dad is the MVP. Dads equally cherish playtimes as it gives them more time to bond with the kids and understand their personality, their challenges and help them through it.
Experiencing cherished memories
Your baby’s first steps, words, attempts to crawl, sing, and even communicate with you in their language(s) you’ll agree are moments to cherish. Their inability to pronounce certain sounds or a combination of sounds leaves an interesting glare when you try to understand them, right?!
Another perk of this lockdown for fathers with their kids is the experience of being present as their kids grow and develop unique interests in sports, puzzles, video games, music, religion, reading and generally feeding their curiosity as they mature.
Understanding your kids come with spending quality time with them and knowing what they’re like with friends or around extended family members. What better way is there to understand them, than taking note of little changes; like transitioning from a baby crawler to riding a tricycle, switching interests between hobbies, or developing new feeding patterns and eating habits.
As children grow and develop, so does their interest. With your child, puberty can mean everything to them and help you develop a stronger bond as they experience a mired of changes.
