Celebrating DADS |
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Sunday February 20, 2011 |
Your Twin County United Way is a strong believer that dads play a crucial role in raising their children. Fathers have “Father Power”, which is their unique influence in the lives of their children that no one else has. Fathers also have a special window of opportunity to lead, love, teach, & impact their children while they are young. In our “go-go” culture, dads need all the support & encouragement they can get when it comes to raising our future leaders.
Dads, consider these few tips on how you can play an active role through everyday activities with your children.
Get a child dressed – Be in charge of helping your child get ready for the day. Create a unique routine, one that is different from mom’s routine.
Read up – Whether you are a father of an infant, or a preschooler, make an effort to learn about a child’s age and stage of development. Read up on how to change a diaper, how to prepare a nursery, how to handle a tantrum, and what toys to use to help your child learn and grow.
Read to your children – Carve out a time slot for father time, be it every day or every Saturday, when your child knows he can sit down with his dad and listen to stories. You as a dad can take special field trips to the library or bookstores to let your child look at book selections to get a good understanding of what your child likes to read.
Make a weekend morning a dad’s morning – Declare Saturday or Sunday mornings father time. Learn the morning routine well enough to get your child out of bed, dressed, and fed without the help of mom, and go somewhere fun. Or go out for breakfast, just with dad. This is time both child and mother will look forward to.
Get comfortable in the grocery store – Make a concerted effort to learn the foods and supplies that kids need and offer to go to the store to get them. Take a list along and ask your children to help find the things throughout the store.
Help tackle sleep issues – Whether dealing with an infant who’s yet to sleep through the night or a toddler who’s having nightmares, take turns with mom getting out of bed when issues arise in the middle of the night. It’s tiring but also a great opportunity to comfort and connect with your child.
Spend time at home especially when caring for a newborn – The first few weeks and months of a baby’s life are the most crucial for family bonding and making connections with caregivers. Accumulate vacation time before your baby is born to use after her birth, investigate the possibility of taking paternity leave and try to arrange to work from home several days a week if possible.
Thanks, Lewiston Tribune! During the month of February, Twin County United Way is partnering with the Lewiston Tribune to CELEBRATE THE FAMILY
Every year at this time there is a special feature called "Celebrate the Family" in the Lewiston Tribune. It publishes Sundays starting with the last Sunday of January through the last Sunday of February. Your Twin County United Way is committed to celebrating the family by submitting articles that draw our attention to the importance of family & LIVING UNITED.
