The first day of school is coming up, if it already hasn't. Summer is drawing to an end. This usually means an end to the frequent play days, late family movie nights and other fun activities. Typically these are dad-led or dad-highly-involved activities.
It is now time to help out around house and get back into the rigorous routine of back to school. This is a tedious duty, but at the same time very rewarding. What is often difficult for some fathers is taking the time to be involved in the daily routines or helping with other around the house tasks.
Here are just a couple of ideas that dads can do to be involved with the back to school schedule:
Be home for dinner. While it has been noted that they are not the cause for healthy relationships with children, they are a contributing factor and do allow a time for family discussion. Make it an effort to eat dinner together.
Read stories at bedtime. This is dependent on the age of your child. Reading before bed can be a soothing activity, plus it is a great opportunity to teach your child new words. Also, let's not forget that this can be daddy cuddle time too!
Do chores around the house. This can be the dishes, loading and emptying the dishwasher, making lunches and so on. Whatever needs to be done, step in and help out. Do the chores with your children helping, on your own or with your wife. Some research has indicated that wives find their husbands more attractive when they help out with chores.
Help out with homework. This may mean you need to freshen up your algebra skills, but be ready and willing to help out with homework. This is a crucial opportunity for children to learn they can go to parents when they are experiencing a problem that they do not know the answer to.
Go to games and band concerts. Extracurricular activities can be a benefit to your child; they can also be that opportunity to show support. I must caution, though, the habit of over-scheduling your child can hamper the dinner relationship, opportunities for them to do homework and can leave chores unfinished for days.
These are just some ideas. You can incorporate some of these. But if you are aware, you will know the opportunities of where to slide in and help with the school routine.
What are some things you do to help out around the house?
