How can fathers have stronger bonds with their children?
Seeing the father as a playmate affects the bond between father and child more than you might think. Most games that involve physical contact such as giving piggyback rides, playing tag, tickling or wrestling strengthen the bond between kids and their fathers.
Another study found that children who play games, read books, or participate in activities with their fathers have fewer behavioral problems during primary school and are less likely to commit crimes in adolescence.
Having the father react differently in different circumstances does not necessarily mean that the father is careless or indifferent to his child. On the contrary, the alternative approach of the father can be quite important for the children’s journey to healthy adulthood.
Here is a song and a movie that handles the relationships between fathers and children:
The Movie: Mary and Max (2009)
This picture details the unforeseen pen-pal friendship that is developed between Mary, a 9-year-old girl neglected by her family, and Max, a man in his 40s.
“God gave us our relatives; thank God we can choose our friends” adorns the end of the movie and does a great job at summarizing the ethos of the film.
The Song: My Father’s Eyes- Eric Clapton
The legendary British guitarist Eric Clapton is this week’s guest. In My Father’s Eyes, the artist draws a parallel between his estranged father’s eyes, and the eyes of his son Conor, who died at the age of four. Clapton, knowing what it is like to grow up without a father figure, describes how this experience would impede his abilities as a father.
Source: Vakrat, A., Apter-Levy, Y., & Feldman, R. (2018). Fathering moderates the effects of maternal depression on the family process. Development and Psychopathology, 30(1), 27–38.
Paquette, D. (2004). Theorizing the father-child relationship: Mechanisms and developmental outcomes. Human Development, 47(4), 193–219.
