Dad Central’s vision is to see an involved, responsible and devoted dad for every child. To help achieve this vision, we’d like to simplify what it means to be a positively involved dad. It’s also important that we communicate our position that healthy families come in many forms. What is also true from research is that positive father involvement is essential.
To help you celebrate the best of 2020 and look forward to 2021, we’ve put together a short holiday gathering conversation starter. You can use it with your kids, a loved one, or your entire family. The goal is to stimulate your collective thoughts, inject some humour and help you and your loved ones find hope.
Children are always watching and imitating what they see their parents and other caregivers do. No matter what you say to them or around them, what you do is more significant. To lead by example, remain aware of the way you act around your child every day.
Most children have messy rooms from time to time. Set reasonable standards and communicate effectively to make cleaning fun and efficient. You’ll be rewarded with a better relationship with your kids and a neater home.
When will we be able to put the “dads don’t babysit” comment to rest? What will it take to focus on the things dads do, as opposed to what they don’t do? The new paternity leave offered to dads in Canada is an opportunity to change this perception. Dads taking the 5 week “use-it-or-lose-it” leave will have ample opportunity to show the world that they are primary care-givers to their kids.
In my early years of parenting I saw my role as supporting my wife, bringing home a paycheque, and making sure the leak in the roof of our house (among other things) got fixed. Oh, I spent a lot of time alone with my daughter because my job was a contract and my wife went to work while I stayed home for 4 months of that first year. That was before fathers could take a share of the parental leave.