When it comes to raising boys, fathers bring a better-guided insight amongst other things to the table.
Thus, the relationship between a father and a son is among the earliest and most significant in a boy’s life.
Looking to nurture or strengthen your relationship with your son? This article was written with you in mind.
The 5 ways you can achieve this necessary father-son relationship include:
1. Be involved. Get To Know Them Better
The first step to developing a better father-son relationship is fort a father to work his way up to make himself more approachable. This will promote bonding with your son.
Get on their level; teach, work on projects, and play on a level that your child is familiar with.
The rule of thumb is that you start developing this relationship early enough (from when he’s still a baby).
But the good thing is that you can still achieve this, no matter what age your boy is now.
If he’s still a toddler, get on the floor and build a city out of blocks.
If they’re older, e.g., adolescents or teens, join in on a round of video games.
You have a higher chance of sparking conversations during these types of activities than by trying to get them talking at the dinner table.
Emphasise individual and collective family time.
While your son(s) need to know that you acknowledge and respect their individuality, it also counts when you uplift the family as a unit.
Make family time a regular and revered part of your routine.
Eat meals together most evenings of the week, and have everyone share their experiences of the day.
Go to church, school, sporting events, movies, extended family, or work gatherings together.
2. Stay In Touch With Academics, Friendships, And Extracurriculars
You can’t expect to have a strong father-son relationship if you just say “good morning” and “good night” each day.
While it’s understandable that you’re busy juggling work and other responsibilities, you’re also required to make an effort to get to know your kids and learn about what’s happening in their lives; especially their academics.
It goes beyond providing money for the fees.
Make time, encourage them to participate, help them practice their lines, and attend their school events.
Attend PTA meetings or meet with your children’s teachers regularly to stay updated on their academic performance.
Sit down with them and do homework together.
Encourage them to invite their friends over so you know what kind of influences they are around.
Parents who have good relationships with their children are those in touch with their academics, friendships, and extracurriculars lives.
3. Show Them Daddy’s Human Too
Every once in a while, open up and show your human side.
As your boy matures, it’s okay to relax the parent hat a little and let them get a glimpse of the person underneath.
In fact, showing your son your human side will make you more relatable and reinforce lessons.
Don’t hold back in using personal, age-appropriate stories to drive home ways your son can learn and grow.
For instance, if you were bullied in school, share that with your boy and explain how you got through it.
Also, adolescents and teens can easily become intimidated by too much face-to-face communication.
Try deflating the air by having some of your talks in a parallel position.
Having relaxed side-by-side conversations is important for a close-knit father and son relationship.
It is a proven way to really get to know your child, including their interests, preferences, hobbies, etc.
Share your own interests, likes, and background with him too, and emphasize any similar interests you both may share.
Boys are more likely to engage and open up in such settings.
4. Bond Over Shared Interests
Finding common interests will benefit your father-son relationship in a lot of ways.
Strains pop up in father-son relationships all the time, especially if you two have opposing interests.
Board games or video games,
That said, a bold step in building a solid father-son relationship is getting intentional about discovering shared interests and bonding over these.
These shared interests allow you to discover some commonality and bond while maximising the time you spend together doing something you both fancy.
If your boy is still too young to know or tell you what they actually like, try different things together until you land on something you both enjoy doing.
And if he’s older, talk to them about their interests to see if it sparks something in you as well.
Some common things that Dads and sons might bond over include music, board games or video games, playing or watching tennis, baseball, basketball, football, and other sports on screens, etc.
hockey, and more for years. If sports are something you and your son share
It’s the hack to building memories that’ll last a lifetime.
5. Adopt The 3 F’s Of Effective Parenting
Every healthy child pushes the boundaries a bit when it comes to communication and behaviour.
However, as the parent, you must be inclined to respond maturely and calmly to misconduct.
Adopt the 3 F’s to help you with discipline and protect the overall parent-child relationship.
They have to be:
- Firm
- Fair
- Friendly
On firmness: Spell out what the consequences for each action are and apply them consistently.
On fairness: Ensure the punishment fits the crime.
Try to avoid harsh or excessive consequences, or punishing your son when in a raging state.
You may also find: How Dads Can Raise Responsible Sons
On friendliness: Convey your words in a steady yet polite tone and avoid raising your voice.
Simply explain what terms they violated and follow with the consequences.
Also, do not forget to take time to praise them when they are doing well.
You’ve got this!
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