How do you feel when you see your husband interacting with your baby?
It feels great right. I find it beautiful and interesting to see them play and laugh together. For some it happens effortlessly and for others it takes being deliberate about involving your partner in your child’s life for a bond to form. As a mum, it takes being intentional about the kind of father and child relationship you want in your family for this to happen.
Given that your baby spends more time with you than your partner, you can help build a beautiful bond between father and child if you do the following;
- Let Him Feed the Baby: This very possible for both formula-fed and breastfed babies. Guide your husband on how to measure and mix the right quantity of milk and water for your baby’s food. If you are breastfeeding, sometimes you can express the milk into a feeding bottle to give your husband the opportunity to feed the baby while you watch and rest. If you have to breastfeed, allow him to burp the baby.
- Let them Cuddle Together: Caring for a baby is highly demanding especially when both of you are working. Evening time activities after work can be a whole lot to handle. But you don’t have to do it alone, when your husband comes back home, give the baby to him to cuddle while you get on with other home chores
- He can Bath the Baby too: Some men are usually afraid to hold the babies or even bath babies but as the baby grows bathing becomes less difficult. If your husband is not afraid of bathing the baby then let him do it as you watch out for him.
- Involve Him in Your Morning Routine: Every family has different morning routines. If you both leave together for work, you can ask him to dress the baby while you dress up for work too. If he leaves for work before you or you are a stay-at-home mum, you should encourage him to pray for the family while carrying the baby every morning. Any other morning idea that fits into your routine to help to bond will do.
- Reading Bedtime Stories: At bedtimes, allow your husband to pick a book and read to your baby. This is a great way to help your baby learn her dad’s voice; build your child’s intelligence and language skills. Reading and listening to stories is such a lovely way to end the day.
- Let them be: Give your husband freehand to choose the activities he wants to engage in with his baby, you do not have to choose all they have to do. Just let them be when they are together and they would find their rhythm.
Once this bonding foundation is set, as your kids grow older, it becomes easy and effortless to have a great father and child relationship. Other areas of bonding with older kids can be done through outings with them, sport events, schoolwork and so much more.
