Fathers play an undeniable role in their kid’s life. They are more than just the family’s provider and disciplinarian. They are also the children’s male role model and the mother’s support system.
Thankfully, more fathers these days work hard as much as their partners. They want to be more involved in raising the family. They now take part in household chores and helps make the decisions around the house.
Dads these days also want to be more involved in actual parenting and childcare. This is after learning that involved fathers can help in raising happier and healthier kids.
But then, many things can stop fathers from getting involved. Some obstacles are simply so hard to overcome which causes them to feel guilty of their failure to be more present in their kid’s life. Here are some examples of barriers to father involvement.
Why dads aren’t mostly involved in their kids lives
A lack of flexible working opportunities
Dads often work long fixed hours each day. They have limited paid leaves which they can either use to spend on family vacations or emergency family issues.
Since most dads had to work in a fixed and consistent schedule, it can be hard to always be present on their kid’s school activities, family date nights, and even special occasions.
While more people decided to take on remote work to give more attention to their children, most of the people who are working remotely are females.
If your company does not allow flexible work schedules, then you have two choices. One is to find a good remote job that can pay more than your bills and ditch your old job or find other ways to engage with kids during your free time.
If the first option is out of the question, your only option left is to adjust your time to make yourself more available for the kids.
For instance, dads working during normal business hours can spend time preparing meals and eating together as a family. You may choose to drive your kids to school and spend the short commute to talk to your kids.
After a long day at work, you can make time to help kids with their homework or spend quality time with them doing their favorite hobbies. There is always something you can do to spend more time with the kids, even if you are working a full-time job.
Too much responsibility waiting back home
Being a homeowner alone can be gruesome. You have to pay your mortgage, property taxes, bills, and home maintenance. You are in charge of the home upkeep and make sure the house is a safe place for the family.
In case of accidents, you can’t help but worry more about what could happen and how you can pay for the endless expenses. In case of home maintenance and repairs such as water or fire damage restoration, you are the one who needs to take care of everything.
With all the things you need to take care of around the house, it can be hard to set aside enough time to bond with your little ones.
Thankfully, different home service providers now exist to help you navigate even the toughest tasks. Now, you can simply ring a company and let them take care of that busted pipes, faulty electrical wiring, and even mold removal.
This frees up a considerable amount of time that you can use to take your kids out in the park, play catch or even watch their school play.
A long-distance relationship with kids
Some dads had to work thousands of miles away from their families. Others no longer live with their spouse who got full custody of the kids. This puts additional pressure on fathers who can’t always be with their kids physically.
Luckily, technology makes it easier to maintain long-distance relationships. Make it a point to always reach out to your kids and always try to be available whenever the kids want to call you.
Engage in meaningful conversations with your kids through chats, texts, calls, and video calls. Try your best to attend important events in your kid’s life to show your support. Don’t use distance and divorce as an excuse for taking fatherhood involvement for granted.
The more involved and engaged dads are with their kids, the better. The kids will have a great male role model to look up to and can have a happy and healthy childhood if their dads make sure they don’t take childcare and parenting for granted.
As a father, it is your job to provide everything you children might need, be it physically, mentally, or emotionally. Don’t let these challenges stop you from becoming a great father. Like what they always say, if you have a will, you can find a way to resolve your issues.
SEE ALSO: HOW TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH YOUR KIDS WHAT MORE CAN YOU DO TO KEEP YOUR KIDS HEALTHY