HOW TO BE A GOOD FATHER: TIPS & ADVICE FOR DADS
In today's world, the role of a father is constantly evolving. Read on for advice and pointers on how to be an engaged, supportive, and loving father.
What exactly does it mean to be a father? As society and the traditional family change, so does the art of fatherhood. Dads can help their children develop confidence and self-esteem by using these positive parenting tips, and in turn, they can learn how to be an engaged, supportive, and loving father to their children.
Today's families are becoming more diverse, with single-parent families, blended families, same-gender parents, unmarried parents, and multi-generational families becoming more common.
Over the last three decades, societal changes such as an increase in the number of women working outside the home, rising divorce rates, remarriages, and blended families have resulted in shifts in both maternal and paternal roles.
Ask any father today, and he'll tell you that his father-daughter or father-son relationships are vastly different from those he had with his own father. Changes in parenting styles have provided men with more options for responding to their responsibilities as fathers, husbands, or partners. Today's father is less likely to rely on his own childhood experiences for fatherhood advice.
With fathers' roles constantly changing, what worked well for his father 30 years ago may not work at all with the complex and varied challenges that modern fathers face.
Current research reveals that warm accepting fathers tend to have children with higher self-esteem. A loving and nurturing father-child relationship promotes children's academic achievement, peer popularity, and personal adjustment. Loving fathers who provide reasonable, firm guidance without arbitrarily imposing their will aid in the development of children's competence.
BEING AN ENGAGED, SUPPORTIVE, AND LOVING FATHER: PARENTING TIPS FOR DADS
Spend quality time with your child. What matters to a father is revealed to his child by how he spends his time. Children grow up quickly, and now is the time to bond with them. There are numerous enjoyable ways to spend family time with children.
Positive parenting and discipline with love. All children require positive guidance and discipline, not as a form of punishment, but to establish reasonable boundaries. Dads should remind their children of the consequences of their actions while also positively recognizing desirable behavior. Fathers who discipline their children in a calm and fair manner demonstrate their love for them.
Be a role model for your child. Fathers, whether they realize it or not, are role models for their children. A girl who spends time with a loving father grows up knowing she deserves to be treated with respect by boys, and she learns what she should look for in a partner. Fathers teach their sons and daughters the value of honesty, humility, and responsibility.
Defend your right to be heard. Fathers should start conversations with their children about important topics when they are very young so that difficult topics will be easier to handle when they are older. Make time to hear your child's ideas and problems.
As a family, you should eat together. An important part of healthy family life is bonding through family meals. It allows children to express themselves about what they are doing and what they want to do. It is also an excellent opportunity for fathers to listen and participate. It provides a framework for families to spend time together every day.
You should read to your child. In a world dominated by television and the internet, it is critical that fathers make the effort to read to their children in order to develop lifelong readers. Begin reading to them when they are very young, and then encourage them to read on their own as they grow older. Instilling a love of reading in children is one of the best ways to ensure a lifetime of literacy and personal development.
Respect your child's other parent. Parents who respect each other and show mutual respect to their children provide a safe environment for their children. When children see their parents respecting each other, they are more likely to feel accepted and respected within the father-child relationship.
Seek involvement as soon as possible. Show early interest by learning about a father's role during pregnancy, adoption, or surrogacy, and gently touching, playing, holding, and talking to your infant child. When fathers are involved, they send a strong and unequivocal message: "I'd like to be your father. I'm interested in you, and our relationship is important to me."
Few events in a man's life have the same impact as becoming a father. Being entrusted with the responsibility and care of another person is a monumental task, but none is more rewarding than becoming a father and watching your child grow into adulthood, with your affection returned in spades and your child's self-worth confirmed. Hopefully, these parenting tips can help dads who want to learn how to be engaged, supportive, and loving fathers.
TALKING FATHERHOOD WITH MILLENNIUM DADS ON THE WORK-LIFE EQUATION PODCAST
On this episode of the Work-Life Equation: millennial dads. What does it mean to be a father in 2018? Our candid panel of modern working dads talked about stepping up as parents, dance classes on football Sunday, sharing the load with mom, redefining self-care, and "embracing the poop" in a job that's harder – and more fun – than they ever imagined.
Looking for a great gift for dad? Consider Best Cat Dad Ever Shirt Vintage Cat Dad First Pump.
Related: 10 Great Games to Play on Father's Day
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