Fathers are more involved in their children’s lives than ever before. They work hard at work to provide for their kids, and they work even harder to cultivate strong bonds with their children.
Being separated from them—whether divorced or never married to the co-parent—is hard on dads and kids alike. Bonds can loosen over time, especially if separations last a while, but you can retighten them while having a blast with your children.
A father’s presence matters to kids
Childhood experts encourage fathers to maintain lasting bonds with their children. Examples of specific benefits to kids include:
- Kids with involved fathers generally do better academically
- Teens with involved dads typically have a healthier self-esteem
- Skin-to-skin contact with infants encourages calmness and less crying
- Close father-child bonds support empathy development and emotional awareness in young children
- These are just a few advantages associated with forming and maintaining close relationships with your kids.
You do not have to plan extravagant weekend outings or trips to Disney World to bond with your children. Reading books, completing jigsaw puzzles, and even doing chores together promote healthy parent-child bonding.
Make sure your custody order functions properly
As a father, you have a right to spend time with your kids and strengthen your bonds. If your current child custody order in North Dakota or Minnesota is ineffective, it is time to find out how to remedy the situation.
In most states, including North Dakota and Minnesota, you can seek to modify a child custody order that does not give you a fair share of parenting time.
