8 Smart Ways Working Dads Can Bond with Their Children

05/29/2021 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

The demanding jobs and time spent away tend to toughen the relationship-building process between a father and a child. Dads have a different parenting style.; they cannot replace the other parent when the latter is not around. However, fathers need to take their time to bond with their children since this will build an even stronger relationship.

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Fathers play a significant role in their families, and good father involvement has been connected to improved social responsiveness, cognitive developments, freedoms, and gender role establishment in kids. So, the following are ways fathers can bond with their children and make a difference in their lives.

Focus on Daily Task

Some examples of daily tasks include washing, getting dressed, and playing. Most fathers tend to think that they have to figure out, at any cost, quality time or spend some special times with their children. But fathers usually spend less time with their kids when compared to mothers. So, don’t feel so much obliged to take them for a vacation on an exotic island.

Don’t get it wrong; it is totally okay to do so. However, what matters more is happening right under your nose, inside your home. You will be astonished to realize that you are good at many things.

Share Your Daddy Duties

Some specific jobs tend to be earmarked for fathers. But it never hurts to allow your children to join you in some of the chores. You can get your children to help you wash your car, build a structure, or even fix the plumbing.

Children tend to enjoy a lot of things that adults would otherwise consider dull or boring. Doing chores with your kids offers you an excellent way to bond with them while also teaching them how to do them.

Exercise Together

In many instances, parents tend to spend their time bonding with kids during stationary activities like watching a TV show. However, exercise offers a unique way for fathers to bond with their kids. Exercise allows your children to experience improved communication, and more importantly, develop and practice teamwork. These two skills are vital in your children’s development.

On the other hand, teamwork is the best way to teach your kids how to come together and work towards a primary goal. Also, as a working dad, you spend most of your time away from your kids, so exercising with them gives you the best opportunity to know your kids better. You will get to understand their weaknesses and strengths.

This will then help you identify what drives your child and encourage good behavior while cutting bad habits.

Bedtime Stories

This is one of the best ways to create a long-lasting memory with your kids. Bedtime stories are usually associated with mothers; however, a recent study has revealed that kids tend to develop more when their father reads them bedtime stories. In addition, dads have been found to initiate a more creative discussion and help improve their kid’s language development.

Dads are usually working late and are not home before the kids are asleep. They are typically exhausted and stresses to face the fifteen minutes of bedtime stories. But as a father, you must acknowledge the secrets mums have when it comes to bonding with their children; bedtime stories. Apart from strengthening your bond, bedtime stores can help you relax.

Communication is Important

From an early stage, fathers need to listen to their children without judging them or trying to fix things right away. The other parent might not be focusing too much on what the children are going through, so it is your duty as their father to establish a strong relationship and develop an effective communication strategy. Your child might want to tell you something that happens while you are at work, so listen. And before you take any action, learn more about the grounds for divorce.

To motivate your child to open up, pick opportunities where you can listen to what they have to say. For instance, you can take them fishing, go to a sports event or take a road trip. When with your children, give them your full attention, stop what you are doing and reflect on what they are trying to tell you.

Be Available

For a long time now, fathers have been the busy bees. The work pressure and fatigue pushes them to come home late and stay away from their children. But as a father, you need to make time for your kids. Kids tend to be more attached to the parent that is with them during their most challenging moments. Be with your children and give them a shoulder to lean on whenever they are down.

Not showing up to an important event in your child’s life can drastically affect their relationship. As hard as it might be, try to attend.

Have Meals Together

Meals are one of the best ways of bringing people closer together. This is particularly true for families with small children. Eating meals as a family has many mental, social, and nutritional benefits. Additionally, children and parents can share their experiences, hopes, dreams, and expectations. Besides, mealtime conversations can improve your children’s language skills hence enhancing their reading capabilities.

Respect your Children

Occasionally, parents talk to their children in the same tone they would speak to an adult. However, it is important to note that, just like adults, kids can feel emotions of hurt and embarrassment. Avoid brushing them off whenever they say something. Doing so only makes them feel sad, offended, and ignored.

So, try to listen to their ideas with attention and respect what they have to say. Regardless of your child’s age, it is essential to make them feel important. Be a good role model; speak to your children the way you expect them to talk to you, and the respect will be reciprocated. The bond between a father and his children can affect the outcome of a child’s life and the relationships that he or she will have. So, spending time together, reading them bedtime stories, establishing effective communication, being available, and eating meals together will help you become a better father. All your efforts will help your children form attitudes that enable them to grow into understanding people.

Going Healthy, Health, Life, Lifestyle, Parenting, Tips

How to Better Care for Ageing Parents and Grandparents

05/27/2021 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

When you have an elderly family member whose mobility is declining or they have particular care needs, finding the right approach to their care is obviously a top concern for you. Caring for them well is something that will depend on their particular needs and circumstances, and there’s a range of options for you to consider. For instance, many have found value in seeking out Home Care Services to help care for their ageing family members right from their own home, while others have made use of residential care homes for their loved ones. We’re going to talk today about offering the best care possible.

Assess Their Needs Objectively

First of all, you need to take a look at the specific needs your elderly family member has. You should try to do this in the most objective way possible, which is something that’s not always easy to do. You’ll want to make sure that you’re being realistic and you’re seeing the situation as it really is and not glossing over things that are difficult to accept.

Adapt the Home Accordingly

When you know what your familiar member’s needs are, you can start to help adapt your home to suit them, assuming they’re living with you. If they’re living in their own home, you should take steps to try and adapt their home to their needs. Things like hand rails and ramps can make a big difference and ensure falls are less likely to happen.

Include Them in the Discussions

When you’re deciding which path to take with regards to the care needs of your ageing parents or grandparents – such as whether a reputable home care of Philadelphia company should be involved – you should be sure to include them in these discussions. There’s nothing more insulting than just assuming that you can make their decisions for them without waiting to console them at all. This is going to impact them first and foremost, so you have to respect what they want too.

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Get Help from a Carer

Getting help from a professional carer who’s able to offer your family a professional standard of care might be what you need. Sometimes, there’s too much for you all to deal with alone, and having the help of an experienced pro might be a real difference for you. Sites like careasone.com can help you to find the care services that you might be looking for.

Take Your Own Needs Into Account Too

As well as taking their needs into account, you also need to do your best to consider your own needs. This is something that’s often overlooked and neglected but it shouldn’t be that way. Your own needs matter just as much and if you want to make sure you do the right thing by your relative, you need to make sure that they’re getting the right level of care. If you’re not capable of offering it, seek help instead.

Being a good carer for an elderly relative or anyone in your family in need of care always starts with you. Trying to take on too much and thinking you can handle a person’s care needs when you really can’t is never good for anyone involved. So do try to be honest with yourself and what you’re able to offer.

Life, Lifestyle, Parenting

Bullying at School? Advice for Parents to Help Kids With This Serious Problem

05/27/2021 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

When out in the world, bullying can be the first traumatic experience your child may have to go through. Unjustified aggressive behaviors from a bully can make your child feel rejected and unaccepted. However, it not only affects the victim, but it also affects the bully, which gives birth to much bigger problems in the future of these kids.

Apart from the immediate pain of bullying, victims are more likely to develop physical and emotional disorders in the future. However, bullying is not only physical, and it comes in many forms. Apart from physical abuse, it can be in the manners of social abuse, verbal abuse, and cyberbullying. These all may come in different patterns, but they leave a very similar effect on the victim, which leads to a harmful and lasting impact on your child’s health.

Few Lasting Effects of Bullying Are:

— Anxiety.

— Loss of self-confidence.

— Depression.

— Change in eating habits.

— Losing interest in school.

— Self-isolation.

So, when you are a parent, how do you prevent bullying at school and keep your kids out of harm’s way? An effective way to stop it is by communicating with your child from early childhood, especially in school.

However, that is not enough. You may have to take some extra steps to ensure your child has a bright future as an adult. Here are the measures you need to take that’ll ensure your kid’s bright future. Let’s get started:

Seeking Help from a Counselor

When you find your child to be a victim or perpetrator of this behavior, seeking professional help from a counselor becomes very crucial. For victims of bullying, counseling can help teach them ways to cope with a bully, thus breaking the victimization cycle. Simultaneously, a counselor will help them in building their self-confidence.

Additionally, with the help of therapy, the victim can learn to manage complex emotions like anxiety, guilt, shame, and sadness. Despite the age of the child, they will need guidance. A counselor will help them learn the importance of developing assertiveness and proactive communication with the parents and the teachers at school.

Furthermore, a counselor will teach a victim therapeutic ways to enhance self-relaxation, such as mindfulness, expressive arts, and meditation. So when you enlist a victim in therapy, you are providing them with a safe outlet. It’ll help them in dealing with their frustration and Anxiety with a trusted and qualified adult.

Boost Your Kid’s Self Confidence

A child that does not lack self-confidence is more likely to have better self-esteem. However, to give your child the confidence they need to tackle the outside world, parents play an essential role. Make sure you encourage them to make creative choices at school or home.

When your child is making difficult decisions, they get better at problem-solving, which can help them with bullying. Also, children who take part in activities have more self-confidence than those who are not active at school. These activities can be playing sports, learning a musical instrument, or dancing.

As long as your child has friends at school, the chances of getting bullied at school become significantly less. If you find your child has fewer friends at school, encourage them to join a school club or their choice. Also, they can try volunteering in a social activity, take an exciting part in a school play are some of the most compelling ideas. Having friends with similar interests will again help them keep bullies away.

Soon, they will start gaining success in the activities they have chosen. With a new sense of achievement, your child will feel more confident and more able to deal with it. The new skills they have gained will make them feel proud. As a result, they make new friends at school and help other students facing a similar situation.

Get Involved With Your Kids

Try to stay up to date with your child’s school events. Knowing what’s going on in the school will allow you to get involved with your kids when they are in school—volunteer to help in school activities by joining events.

As a result, you get a perfect opportunity to become acquainted with your child’s friends and teachers. Knowing how and with whom they spend their time in school will ensure that your kids aren’t getting bullied at school. And if they are being bullied, you can discuss the problems with the school authority and find a solution to deal with this problem.

Make sure you don’t miss reading school flyers or class newsletters that come to your home. Discuss them with your kids, so they know you are keen to take part in them. Further, it can help you understand the policies related to bullying at school and what to do when your child faces such a situation.

Lead by Example

Children learn from what they see and based on that, they develop a behavior. That’s why it becomes crucial for a parent to treat others with respect. Try using phrases such as “thank you” and “please” and be more kind towards others. Your kids will follow your lead and become a more functional part of society. Also, it will help them in building healthy habits that can assist them in their personal and professional lives.

If you are a parent of a young child, educate them about the importance of being fair and humble, so they play nicely at school. Tell them to respect others’ feelings and choices, and they cannot just take anything they want. If they need anything, they should ask for their permission first. This will help your child not become a bully.

To Sum it Up

Bullying is one of the most prevalent problems affecting the youth today. So, if a child is a victim of this unhealthy behavior, they can develop long and short-term consequences. However, if you give your child the benefit of some extra care, they can easily find their way out of this issue. The steps mentioned above will help your child deal with specific situations. Plus, helping them in building self-confidence.