Being a father and parent is a tough but also fulfilling role and job. Kids are a lot of work and having a family and a career doesn’t leave a whole lot of time for you.
If you’re struggling to figure out how to best manage all your to-dos and be a good role model then you’ve come to the right place to learn how to be a better dad and parent. Be proud of yourself for taking the first step which is putting forth more of an effort to improve and make a better life for your family and kids.
Spend Quality Time with Your Kids
Quality time with your kids is essential to you building a deeper bond and bringing your family closer together again. You can be a better parent by making it a point to spend more time with your kids and making more room in your schedule for them. When you do hang out with your children make sure you put your phone away and eliminate any distractions so you can give them your full attention. Participate in activities you all enjoy doing and have fun laughing and being together.
Make Wise Financial Decisions
Another important matter when it comes to raising a family and kids is your finances. Making wise financial decisions is one way to be a better dad and parent. Always be thinking about the family and everyone’s needs before taking actions that you may later regret. If you’re looking for ways to earn more you may consider getting a second job or trading and investing your money. In this case, it’s in your best interest to learn more about and study market capitalisation so you can choose the right investment and be successful.
Listen & Offer Advice
You can be a better dad and parent by lending an open ear and listening to your kids when they want to talk. It’s your opportunity to hear them out without judgment and to be there for your children when they may need you the most. Think through what life lessons and experiences you’ve had and share advice with your kids that will help them lead healthy, safe, and happy lives. Engage in conversation with your children and use it as an opportunity to get to know each other better and get on the same page.
Practice Patience
It’s essential that if you want to be a better dad and parent that you learn to be more patient with your kids. Practice patience and you’ll likely discover it’s easier to communicate and get through to your children and that they listen better. They’re looking up to you and watching your every move and will also learn to be more patient if you demonstrate this skill in your daily life. Not only be patient with your kids but also with yourself because you will make mistakes. However, instead of being too hard on yourself, use these situations as opportunities to learn from your errors and improve or modify your approach in the future.
You usually wash daddy’s clothes, polish his shoes and serve him after work. You may have so many fun memories with your dad. However, it is always a headache for you whenever you decide to get him a gift, be it on his birthday, father’s day, Christmas eve, or new year’s eve. All because there are numerous gifts to select from, and you are not sure you can get him the perfect one. You need not worry. Here are the top ten gift suggestions to give daddy for all occasions.
Sweatshirts
You can give your daddy a sweatshirt as an all-season gift if he is the athletic yet fashionable daddy. Sweatshirts have this comfortable feel that keeps you warm in more relaxed atmospheres. There are many types of sweatshirts to make a pick from to surprise your daddy. You may choose a crew neck sweatshirt that is slightly heavier than a regular long-sleeved shirt but with a crew neck. It can be a perfect choice if your dad is a simple man.
You can also opt for the polo sweatshirt from Ralph Lauren Clothes, which has its unique official touch and a polo neck. Other types to choose from are the hooded sweatshirts, the fitted sweatshirts, the pullover type, the athletic ones for running outside, the mock neck, zipped, fleece, and Baja types. Any of these types may be selected depending on the preference, build, and fashion sense of your dad.
Sunglasses
Sunglasses have a fashionable yet classy appeal depending on the type of sunglasses and the weather. However, you need to be sure you have seen your dad’s rock sunglasses in the past. To make it even super cool, you could buy matching colors for yourself and your daddy. Take a look at the various types and shades you could make a pick from.
If you are considering a summer outdoor experience with daddy, you may opt for the Durand sunglasses. They appear just like regular sunglasses with a combined design of round and square shapes, making it a bit of both. With its scratch resistance and hand-polished cellulose acetate, you are sure daddy can use it like prescription or fashionable glasses. You can also go for the pilot sunglasses, which come in a simple but classy style. You may also select from the cat eye, club master, rectangle, shield, or wayfarer.
My dad And I photo album
It is pretty understandable why people occasionally pick their family photo albums and smile while looking through them. The memories shared are forever stored in the album. Getting a “my dad and I photo album” will be an extraordinary gift your daddy will never forget. However, you may consider making a photo collage to relive the special memories you share with your dad. Your biggest challenge will be choosing from your collection of pictures. You can build a gradual tempo by starting with pictures from when you were little. Then add pictures from when daddy changed your diapers, sent you to school in a baby’s carrier, preschool pictures, and graduation pictures. The catchy point will be the numerous random photos your mom might have snapped of you and daddy. To further create a relishing effect on your dad, you may create funny captions that he can relate to.
Handmade leather bookmark
A handmade leather bookmark can be an exceptional gift for your bookworm daddy. For many book lovers, a handmade leather bookmark may be a special fancy gift. The bookmark will constantly remind your dad of how thoughtful you are towards him. You can choose a long-grain full-length leather bookmark with a quote from one of his favorite authors. There are many more styles and colors to choose from, depending on how you see your dad.
Customized phone case
Another unique gift you can give your dad is a customized phone case. Gadget lovers usually enjoy the relish that comes with having customized gadgets. They may occasionally show it off among their peers. Customized phone cases are handy gifts your daddy will cherish. Think of it this way, wherever daddy goes, he moves with his phone, and your gift will always remind him of you. You will need a few samples of his pictures with his big man grin on. Get a good designer to make a lovely print on the back of the phone case. If you have a very close bond with your daddy, a customized frame of you both your smiles can be a good choice.
For the perpetual latecomer, a personalized watch stand and watch
The choice of a personalized watch stand and custom watches may be a good gift for your dad. If he has missed the time to pick you up from school, always late for dinner, never early for a planned date or outing, your gift may start the course to refine him to be punctual. The customized watch stands come in many types of wood, plastic, and metal. You may have a wide range of watches to make a pick from. For someone who has the habit of being late, you may buy a much lighter watch that will be easy to move around with.
A road trip vacation
Your daddy may be an indoor person always glued to his newspaper, movies, and music. A preferred gift would be a road trip vacation. You may want to spend some time planning the perfect getaway road trip to give your daddy the outdoor exposure he needs. Preferably a summer camping trip will do just fine. It will be an excellent time to stretch out and enjoy the warmth of summer.
3d screen magnifier
Have you observed daddy squinting his eyes to read from his phone or catch up on his favorite shows and movies on Netflix? Then a 3D screen magnifier can be the best gift to give him. The magnifying screen will give daddy some alone time and peace to enjoy his preferred content on his phone without much struggle and eye constraints.
New York Times custom front page puzzle
Many older folks love to keep in touch with the world around them by reading newspapers. If your dad is a New York Times regular, this gift may appeal to his fancy. Try getting a front-page publication that he can relate to. It can be a front-page publication that talks about his line of work or his locality. Customize it nicely and present it to him as a gift. Your dad will appreciate such a gift.
For the thrifty shopper, undies will be a good gift
Your dad may be among the section of men that hardly spend their money on shopping. You can select some very nice undies for your daddy. Some comic-related designed undies may be what he needs if he is a comic lover.
These are some top suggestions, but you can always twist it slightly to fit your fancy to make your daddy happy.
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.
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.
An at-home dad on a mission to keep it real when it comes to food, fun, and raising a healthy, happy family.
