What you as a dad get out of activities with your child
It’s healthy for both of you, father and child, to do things together. It strengthens your relationship and attachment as well as your child’s development and well-being.
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What should we do?
It doesn’t matter much what you do with your child, as long as you’re together. Activities that seem trivial to adults can be very exciting for a child who has never tried them before. A ride on a train, a walk in the woods, sleeping in a tent in the garden, stargazing and exploring are examples of how little effort it takes to give your child a feeling of adventure.
Why activities with dad are good for your child
1) Active exercise helps your child to relax and sleep better at night.
2) It develops your child’s motor skills. Anything that is different from just walking straight ahead has a positive effect. For example, climbing on climbing frames or trees, climbing hills or sand dunes, going for a walk in the woods away from the gravelled paths or playing sports.
3 ) It helps your child’s language development when you do things together, talk about them and find words for your discoveries and what you see along the way.
4) Doing something new will help the child become curious and creative, resourceful and ready to form new friendships ant take a healthy interest in life.
5 ) Quality time with dad builds and strengthens your relationship.
6 ) If there are siblings, doing something alone with dad and getting his undivided attention can be positive for your child.
Why activities with your child are good for you
7 ) A strong, close relationship with your child makes you enjoy everyday life more.
8 ) Spending time with your child, laughing and trying out new things with them and seeing the world through their eyes will make you happy too.
9) It’s an investment in your relationship that you can draw on and build on through childhood and into adulthood.
10 ) It’s a great opportunity to show your child some of the things you’re interested in. Things like listening to music, tinkering with the car, playing board games, drawing and painting, and watching sports or playing yourselves. Your own enthusiasm will rub off on your child, and if you’re lucky, it will be an interest you can share for years to come.
