How to Strengthen the Father-son Relationship in a Modern World?

Unlike, father-daughter relationship which is quite adorable, full of compassion, warmth, love, care and protective nature, relationship between a father and a son is quite complex and tough in nature. Fathers and sons usually who common interests and thus, they find it hard to relate to each other and even understand each other. It is very commonly seen in fathers, that they want their sons to be tough and thus, they forget to show love, warmth, and compassion to their sons, unlike their daughters which not only creates differences in their though processes but also hampers the bonding between fathers and sons.

And this is the reason why they find it hard to connect with each other. It is true when it comes to activities and sports fathers usually expect their sons to be proactive and willingly participate in all sorts of sports and games and in that process they forget to connect with their sons asking them about their interests and their favourite sports that they want to play or participate in. 

The crucial reason why father’s forget appreciating and accepting their sons’ choices and preferences is the mindset that has been created already in our society which clearly says, “Boys have to be tough.” And this mindset narrows down the opportunities, preferences, choices, interests for a boy kid which is intentionally or unintentionally supported by fathers.

But, it’s not too late yet, for all fathers around the world, there are ways you can still strengthen and warm up the bonding or the father-son relationship by comprehending that your boys should be treated with compassion, love, care, and warmth as well. Toughness hasn’t have to be in your behavior or preferences, it has to be the attitude and perception towards life.

Here are some true ways to strengthen your relationships with your sons. Read on:

1. Show same compassion and care to your boys

The first and foremost thing every father should do is showing the same love, care, compassion, warmth to their sons that they usually bestow their daughters with. You sons need love too. They need your support and understanding, you can’t raise your kids based on their genders. 

2. Be their role model, not enemies

To make your sons learn the skills of life, specifically to be tough and resilient, don’t play harsh on them, rather be their role models. Become the person you want your son to be and help them understand the life from your eyes. When you behave tough and play harsh on them, you unknowingly become their enemies and even they develop angst feelings for you.

3. Accept your sons’ interests and preferences

It is very important for all fathers around the world, that every kid is different and be it a girl or a boy each kid is an individual and these individuals will have different choices, interests and ideas. They might match with some other kids as well, but you need to identify their interests and accept it with full heart to support and help them further. This way you win your sons’ hearts for sure.

4. Give them some space

Constant nagging and complaining or interrupting your kids activities and way of living their lives can create disturbances in your father-son relationship. They feel their activities, decisions, choices are limited that stops them from learning and exploring. And over a period of time they tend to blame you (the fathers) for the flaws and shortcoming in their lives. Thus, always give them space and let them learn from their mistakes in their own pace which is one of the best ways to strengthen the father-son relationship in this modern world.

5. Respect their decisions and choices

Usually, fathers tend to be stricter and charging their sons for their mistakes, wrong decisions and impulsive choices which make sons usually more reckless and emotionless. Not only these damages them mentally and emotionally, but also creates differences between every father and son relationship. Thus, being a parent and a father, you need to understand that your sons do want you to help them learn better but they also want you to respect their decisions or at least appreciate.

6. Let them make mistakes, and help them with compassion

It is always better to let you kids do the mistakes and learn from it rather than always being there for them being a judgmental and protective father to stop them from even trying and exploring things. This limits their capabilities and ever thought process and not only this, you lose their trust and respect. Let them make mistakes and help them identify their mistakes and provide them with better options to rectify their mistakes with utmost love and compassion.

7. Talk one-to-one once a week

It is essential for parents and kids to communicate one-to-one every once in a while, to keep things clear and less complicated. This not only strengthens the parent children relationship but also help them to understand each other, know each other’s preferences, ideas, values, and decisions that somehow help kids later in their lives. And, for father-son relationship it becomes crucial to strengthen their bonding and understand each other very well.

8. Plan a father-son date time

Spending quality time with your kids is always a great therapy and an idea. It helps you to boost the relationship with your kids, teach them life lessons, skills, talk to them about sports spirit, team work, and even it gives them an assurance that their parents are there for them and they also adore them with complete care, affection, and warmth. 

9. Listen to them 

Usually, parents are so busy that they ignore what their kids have to say. And this becomes a habit of adulthood where adults think whatever kids have to say it’s probably meaningless. Thus, parents don’t listen to their kids mostly which makes them feel unheard and less important for their parents which creates a sense of sadness leading to increased tantrums, whining, and some times they end up being depressed developing emotional issues. Thus, it is very important to listen to your kids whenever they try to tell you something, and fathers do listen to your sons what they want to share with you which is another way to strengthen the father-son relationship. Because there would be one day, they would have grown up to complete adult and you people would barely talk.

10. Be present when they ask you to

Kids get pumped up, boosted, and encouraged when their parents show up in the events or on their special days. Thus, when your kids be it your son or daughter ask you or expect you or request you to be there for their special days or events, make sure you show up because nothing can be more important than family and their trust. When fathers show up for sons’ special times and days, the trust factor in the father-son relationship gets profoundly firm and their bonding flourish over time.

11. Be a friend for your son to count on

A boy kid always looks for a friend at his first safe space which is home and that should be a father. When a father becomes the pal to a son, it helps them to first get their father-son bond strengthened with unbreakable trust so that when things go wrong for a kid outside their safe space, be it school, college, work space, play time friends, or in their personal lives especially sons, stay assured that their fathers would have their back no matter what. And this sense of reliability and secure always improves a father-son bond.

12. Love their mother immensely

The last but one of the most essential things any father in this world should do to strengthen the father-son relationship is love their son’s mother. When your son watches you caring, supporting, appreciating, and helping their mother, they see you as a role model and feel extra secured and loved as they know their fathers would never let them and the family down.

You may like this

• 6 Things You Should Never Do In A Healthy Relationship
• How To Keep A Healthy, Long Lasting Relationship
• 7 Reasons to Travel with Your Family