Fathers and father figure’s emotional connection with their child will change overtime, depending on the life stage.

The goal is to work on creating an emotional connection from the start, and building on it as they grow.

The way you work on your emotional connection with your toddler, will differ to your teenager, or even your adult child. But one thing remains the same, is the love, involvement and sense of safety you provide them over time.

When a child has a safe emotional connection with their father, it supports their development and overall wellbeing.

Top Tips

• Make time to connect at home together each day if possible. When you get home from work, around the table at dinner time, or at bedtime.
• Check in with each child for a chat about what they have been doing, how they are feeling and any news they have.
• Really ‘BE THERE’. Put away the phone and connect completely with each of your children.
• Create opportunities to communicate. You never know when your child will open up to talk about something really important to them.
• Listen to them and get to know about your child as an individual. Their thoughts, their feelings, likes and dislikes, their friends, and their dreams.

Want to read more? 

Tips to maintaining connection with your teen. 

Why you need to be a dependable dad.