There are so many reasons why father-son bonding time is important. Outlined below are just a few of the reasons:
1.) A child’s mental development is greatly boosted when his father has played with him since birth rather than the “hands off” approach some father choose to take.
2.) Boys who experienced a close relationship with their fathers growing up to be more successful in school, have better relationships with other kids, and are less likely to get involved in crime as they grow up.
3.) A common pattern seen in boys with a lot of anger, mental health issues, and/or behavioral issues, is that they have an absent father.
4.) It is rare when a relationship will have a bigger impact on the man a boy becomes than the relationship with his father.
5.) Strong father-son bonding and relationships can help to counter-act depression later in life.
6.) Men who report that they had a good relationship with their father while growing up end up more resilient to stress in adulthood.
7.) For those of you who are religious, the Bible says, "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." -Proverbs 22:6
Fathers, with this in mind, if you have not already done so, it is time to take an active role in your child's life. As we are starting a new year, it can also be the start to what could become an incredible father-son relationship. So where to begin? Some tips on ways a father can strengthen a bond with his son are outlined below.
Ways a father can strengthen the bond with his son:
1.) Recognize that sons are influenced by their fathers. Every decision a father makes matters.
2.) Be present when your present. If a father is around, but constantly on video games, watching television, or even working, then he is not present for his son. It is important for a father to be actively present when spending time with his son.
3.) Spend one on one time with your son. Sons will often bond naturally with their mothers from a very young age from the one on one time spent nursing. It is important for fathers to spend one one one time with their sons too.
4.) Find common interests. Boys will often cling to the same interests as their fathers, such as football or basketball. Take notice of these interests in common and use them to develop the relationship.
5.) Be willing to do things your son enjoys, even if you don't enjoy it. There will be phases a boy goes through that a father does not find interesting or entertaining, such as an obsession with dinosaurs. A father needs to be willing to meet a child where he is and get excited over the things his son gets excited about.
6.) Focus on the positives. What a father speaks over his child, his child will often become. If a father is encouraging and positive, his son is much more likely to end up mentally healthy than a boy whose father is constantly negative, critical, and discouraging.
