5 Ways Dads Can Bond With Their Babies

5 Ways Dads Can Bond With Their Babies

19 May 2015 | 5 min Read

Baby Chakra

Author | 501 Articles

Gone are the days when the role of the father was limited to being merely a breadwinner for the family. Today, a father wears as many hats as the woman in the house. And proudly so! But if you are new to the fatherhood game, here are some hacks to help you bond with your child and have a whale of a time too.

For a woman, it may seem to many dads, that motherhood comes naturally. After all she is the one housing the baby in her womb for nine months. She is the one equipped to nurse and nurture the child from the day one. And she somehow instinctively seems to know just what every cry means. And fathers, they tend to get lost in the sea of diapers, as they watch their wife transform into a mother. It is quite common then for many dads to feel left out of the whole parenthood equation, especially in the first few months, when everything is so new, and your baby seems like a fragile piece straight out of the China shop.

However, fret not daddies, this is quite common. And we have news for you. Your wife is just as overwhelmed as you about the baby. She, to be honest, could probably do with a little bit of your helping hand and wont mind you being in the driver seat with the baby, ever so often. And that’s not the only reason you need to step up your fatherhood game. A recent study indicates that children with involved, caring fathers have better educational performances and tend to have better linguistic and cognitive capacities.

 

However, bonding with a baby, or even a toddler, can take a little bit of work. And that’s what we will help you with today with the top 5 bonding tips.

1. Nighttime duty: Right after the baby is born, and the haze of the first few days has settled, you begin to realise that raise a baby can be hard work. Your wife who only seems to be doing one of three things is also exhausted from the constant cycle of feeding, burping and changing the baby and could do with a break with your help. This is your chance to step in and be her knight in shining armour. Take over the midnight feed, and spend some exclusive time with your baby, while your wife catches a much-needed snooze. You will find your own rhythm with the baby once you settle into this routine.

 

2. Bath time: It may seem intimidating at first to bathe this tiny little human, but once you find a comfort zone and have taken care of all the safety measures, then you will find that both you and the baby enjoy time splashing around. Besides, research confirms taking care of functional chores for the baby helps immensely to bond with the child.

 

3. Massage time: Just like bath time, giving a massage can be a great experience for any parent. So, take this time, to play peek a boo, or simply talk to your child about anything at all. Or even listen to your favourite music together, and make massage time a fun and relaxing activity that both of you’ll can enjoy together. We are sure you will see the giggles follow soon enough

 

4. Bedtime stories: As you child begins to grow up, reading a story can be a great way for you to spend exclusive time with you baby. After a day’s work, it can be the most peaceful thing for you to have your child snuggled up with you listening as you read and put him/her to sleep.  It is also a time to share stories, listen to how their day was and connect with your child.

 

5. Park time: Play ball, teach your tot how to cycle, help her climb up the jungle gym, there is plenty to do with your precious cherub while you take her outdoors. It’s a great way to inculcate new skills as well as have a fun time with your child. What’s more, mommy can take a break and be refreshed to take over the baby duty once you return from the outdoors.

 

These are a few tips that may work for you, but you can always add to create your own list that works for you. The more important thing to remember is to build a routine, which allows you to spend time with your child exclusively. It will help your child expect that her dad will be doing a certain activity with her and we are certain that she will look forward to that special time with you. So, go ahead and start bonding with your baby today.

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