Making Memories | Fatherhood Factor

The summer is here and kids are home from school. This presents an opportunity for us fathers to spend more time getting to know our kids and bond with them.

Fathers are Essential

Since dads are different from moms, it follows that our parenting styles will be different as well and this forms the basis of our contribution to our kids’ healthy development.

We play various roles in our child’s life as a role model, a friend, and disciplinarian. We are crucial not only to our child’s physical well-being but also their emotional health. Being an involved dad brings the following positive benefits to our children:

We encourage risk-taking through roughhousing. Mothers typically encourage kids to play safe but roughhousing with children does have a range of benefits including boosting their physical fitness, improving their coordination and problem-solving skills.
We are also vital to children’s emotional well-being. Various studies have shown that kids with involved dads are more confident, have higher self-esteem and have better coping skills against stress and depression.
We have a pivotal role in their teen’s lives which dissuades them from delinquent behavior. According to studies, affectionate, supportive and involved dads have been linked to a lower incidence of delinquent behavior like truancy, early sexual activity, alcohol and drug abuse in teens.

Enhancing Your Role in Your Kids’ Life This Summer

Now that you know you have a significant part to play in your children’s lives, why not forge a stronger bond with them. Break your routine this summer and find new fun activities that can help you shower your kids with affection. Here are 5 fun ideas to include in your summer bucket list:

1. Build something together.

It can be a fort in the living room, a kickass treehouse in your backyard or a lemonade stand. What matters is that you get to spend time with your kids showing them how to create something from their imagination.

2. Get in the water.

Summer and water activities go hand in hand. Head to the ocean to play in the waves, take the paddleboards out to the lake, visit the waterpark for a blast or even just take a trip to your local neighborhood swimming pool and have a great time with your kids. Teach them cool tricks and how to play different water games and you’ll be their hero.

3. Find exciting regional attractions to attend.

There is always something interesting to see regardless of where you live. You can take your kids to a local fair, rodeo, zoo or museum. They are guaranteed to have the time of their lives and they might also learn something while at it.

4. Spend time outdoors.

Introduce your kids to the wonders of the great outdoors this summer. You can take them fishing, go on a picnic, hike in one of the many national parks or even treat them to the joys of camping. The clean air and tranquility will do wonders for you too.

5. Plan a scavenger hunt.

With the right planning and preparation, a scavenger hunt can keep kids enthralled for hours. Create a list of things for them to find, add some interesting clues and you have a fun scavenger hunt on your hands. You can teach your kids teamwork by encouraging them to work together to find the items or alternatively, encourage healthy competition by awarding a prize to the one who collects the most items.

Time spent having fun with your kids is never wasted and the memories you make will last a lifetime.

A family which celebrates success together and appreciates each other stays together. We all reach milestones we’re proud of in life and having someone to share them with makes the whole experience better. Your family is the one that sees all the hard work you put into achieving success, the one that follows your journey, and the one that supports you the whole way. Celebrating milestones brings you closer together and reminds you that these people are the best friends you can have in the entire world.

1. Make use of technology

Technology is there to make our lives easier, and it’s high time you took advantage of that. Everyone today has a smartphone which makes it very easy to take photos and videos. If you see any cute moments, you can spontaneously capture them and add them without a problem. As well as that, you can record people having fun and bonding. This way, you’ll never forget the awesome time you had together and how much you love your family.

A bonus is that you can print out the photographs later and make a new family album or scrapbook. Even though this is the digital age, it doesn’t mean everyone gets it or knows how to use technology to their advantage. Creating a family scrapbook or album allows older members of the family to reminisce on the celebration, too.

2. Dance!

The lyrics to the popular song go: “A little party never killed nobody” for a reason. It’s time to put them to the test. There’s nothing that brings a family closer and celebrates a milestone adequately like dancing together. There must be family-favourite songs that’ll make everyone move to the beat. Make a playlist, and when everyone’s there and settled, start dancing! It doesn’t matter how good of a dancer anyone is, what’s important is that you do it together.

Break out the silly moves, the internet trends, and the old reliables. Let’s see who’s better on the dance floor- the youngsters or the oldies? Laughing together and dancing your heart outs will make this milestone more memorable than anything else.

3. Cook together

There’s nothing better than a family meal. Well, there is one thing: a family meal that’s been prepared together. Your family can have a lot of fun in the kitchen making food together. Of course, for this to work, you’ll need to organize everything well. To avoid commotion in the kitchen and ensure everything’s getting done while keeping a friendly atmosphere, delegate tasks.

Certain family members can work on the side dishes, while others work on the main meal, and the rest make the salad. Include kids in the cooking, too, as it will make everything more special.

4. Create something together

To commemorate this milestone, you can create something unique together. You don’t have to be especially artistic for this; a positive attitude and a little effort will suffice. One idea is to make up a special family song or poem that only you will know. This way, you can sing it at all your family gatherings and milestone celebrations to remind yourselves that you belong together.

You may also want to create a piece of art together. A family mosaic or painting can be a lovely contribution. One simple yet charming idea is to dip your palms or fingers in non-toxic paint and leave your trace on a blank canvas.

5. Let there be cake

There’s nothing that says “celebration” louder than cake. From birthdays to weddings, cakes are present at all family gatherings and events. There’s no reason why the cake shouldn’t be the prestige guest of your upcoming celebration. Food has always been something everyone in the family has in common, and sugar is the perfect thing to bridge the gap between the generations and various personalities present at the celebration. After all, have you ever seen someone not smiling while eating cake?

When it comes to making the cake, you have two options. You may be tempted to opt for the first one and bake the cake together, but that can prove to be more hassle than reward. The way our friends Down Under see it, celebrating milestones is about bonding and spending time together, not slaying over a cake all day. This could explain why cake deliveres in Sydney are so popular. By having a cake delivered to your home, you have more time to bond with your family, while still having a tasty dessert. In a way, your celebration will be the cake, and the dessert is just a cherry on top.

6. Give Presents

If you want to honour each other and remember this day for a long time, you should mark the milest o ne with presents. Each member can give another one something special that they know they’ll like. To make things more interesting, you can do a secret Santa sort of thing. Take a hat and place papers with the names of family members written on them. Then, each member should take one paper out of the hat. They have to give a gift to the person whose name they picked from the hat.

It’s always a good idea to set a budget before the game starts so that everyone gets gifts of equal value. As well as that, you can decide on the theme of the gifts to represent the milestone you’re celebrating better. Also, don’t be afraid to go homemade if you want to enhance the gift-giving experience. Whatever you decide, the whole family will have something to remember the milestone by for ages to come.

Conclusion

Though the world may be full of different races and ethnicities, the family is something that connects us all. Regardless of where you’re from, the hands of your family lift you up and bring you to the stars. You’re as much of support to them as they are to you. When you celebrate milestones, you celebrate the love and friendship you have with each member and the family as a whole. Choose a way to show them how much they mean to you, and enjoy this special day with the most important people in your life.

Take Advantage Of Summer By Building Lasting Memories With Your Kids