Congratulations, you have done it!
We can officially close the books on Father’s Day 2017!
It looks like, once again, you have been crowned the World’s Greatest Dad, and you have the mug or t-shirt to prove it!
But what now, what next?
The meat has been cooked, hugs have been given, and the beer has now been drunk. Oh, hello reality, hello routine! You were hiding behind my tall friend, Father’s Day.
How do we become the #1 Dad that the card on our table claims us to be? When life goes back to normal, and the parade has left town, what can we do to be the Dad that was just celebrated? Here are two small steps you can take right now towards being more involved in your child’s lives. They are simple and easy to do even for parents working late hours.
1. Read with with you child.
According to a Harvard University study, dads are better for story time. Story time can be anytime! I love reading in the morning, even if it’s for a few minutes before the bus comes. Dr Elisabeth Duursma, who conducted the research said, “Dads were more likely to say something like, ‘Oh look, a ladder. Do you remember when I had that ladder in my truck?’. That is great for children’s language development because they have to use their brains more. It’s more cognitively challenging.” I’m sure many great moms are amazing with story time, but let’s get a few books in dads hand, shall we?
2. Cook a meal together at least once a week.
Cooking helps us develop our math skills, reading and understanding, science, self esteem, communication, and life skills. Maybe it’s Saturday morning for pancakes or Sunday afternoon pot roast, there is nothing like everybody in jammed in the kitchen creating a delicious meal. Not to mention that most (with a few exceptions) home cooking smells great -we are creating scents memories here, people!
So Father’s Day is over, pop a few Advil, drink a glass of coconut water, and think about all the wonderful things we heard from our spouses, our kids, and our families that made us proud to be a dad. It feels good to be appreciated!