Why is it important for fathers to spend time with their children?

 

It is important for fathers to spend time with their children for the following reasons:

  • Spending time with children enables a father to get to know and to be known by his child. Spending time with his child can help a father best to discover his child’s virtues and vices, hopes and fears and aspirations and ideals.
  • Fathers spending lots of time with their children tend to be a better caregiver. When a father spends more time with kids, he tends to be more sensitive to his child’s needs for love, attention, direction and discipline.
  • One must always remember that children usually do see time as an indicator of a parent’s love for them.

By following means, fathers can share more time with their kids and improve the father-child bonding:

  • Fathers can spend considerable time with children by playing with them and having fun.
  • They can play tossing the football, basketball, hiking with their kids.
  • Fathers can also watch television with the children and thus spend more time with them.
  • Fathers can engage kids in productive activities, e.g., small household chores, washing dishes after dinner.
  • Fathers can also get involved in educational activities such as reading to their children or meeting their child’s teacher.
  • Fathers should be responsive to their child’s cries.
  • They should hold and hug them often.
  • Fathers can also participate in their child’s basic care, such as feeding them and changing diapers.
  • Fathers should praise their children when they behave well or accomplish something.
  • Fathers must hug and kiss their children often.
  • They should comfort kids when kids are sad or scared.
  • Fathers can teach toddlers to dress and to shake hands with house guests.

Source:

The importance of fathers in the healthy development of their children[Internet]. Available at: https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubPDFs/fatherhood.pdf. Accessed on Feb 17, 2020.