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10 Ways Dads Can Connect with Their Children
Tips for Being an Involved Parent By Gwen Morrison
"The father who aspires to greatness puts his knowledge and his aspirations into action," says Canfield, also the award-winning author of Seven Secrets of Effective Fathers. "Simply said, he connects. He sets down the paper, forgets about his golf handicap for now, limits his overtime at work, and he mixes it up with his children. He remembers to ask himself annually, monthly, even weekly, 'How much time am I spending with my son or daughter?' 'Would he or she benefit from spending more time with me?'"
Canfield says this can be a sobering exercise, but may lead you to be a successfully connected father. It's important for a father to plan to carve out time in his day – half-hour here or an hour there – every chance he gets.
Canfield says that like everything in life, healthy fathering involves balance. "That balance needs to happen in all four of the basic dimensions of fathering – involvement, consistency, awareness and nurturance," he says.
To be involved, it means spending time with your children doing everyday things. Dads need to be consistent by being available and present on an ongoing basis. "We need to be there for the routine – building patterns, traditions and memories," says Canfield. "But we also need to be aware of things that are out of routine – recitals, big games, tough classes, favorite toys, romances, break-ups, fears, hopes and dreams."
