Present fatherhood in 2021
In a world of juggling work, homeschooling, mental and physical health as well as the happiness of your little ones, it can be difficult to be a present parent. With Father’s Day around the corner, Deane Hill, husband of mom blogger, Bongi Hill, shares his ‘dadvice’ for being present in our new normal.
Successful businesses are often ones that define and live by their values. How much more important are family values as they are the building blocks of our societies’ values? As a father, one of the things that I try to live by is to be present.
It sounds so easy, but in this busy world we often need to detach to be present. You need to ask yourself, “Do my children know that they’re always first; that “my door” is always open? Do they know that when they need comfort or to share a thought, or go on an adventure that am I there?”.
Here are 4 things that I do to ensure I am in the now.
1. Bye-bye screens
What better way to avoid screen time than spending time in water or the pool? You can’t take your devices in there. So in summer, after work we have pool time together, which is a fantastic time to be present and many an hour is spent laughing, splashing and just being kids (daddy included!).
2. Have some sort of routine
So, on wintery evenings, we all go for a short walk or look for flowers in the garden, just before dark. A quick 30 minutes makes all the difference. I can see that the kids feel more grounded. I also enjoy cuddling and reading a story or 2 to our kids every night. They love this time – and they know most of the words of our favourite stories!
3. Get out in the fresh air
4. Have a fun father fashion try-on
Need more advice on boosting creativity, meeting milestones, as well as fun games? Littleworld is our free parenting community that gives you access to exclusive vouchers, a monthly newsletter with handy tips, special competitions and much more.
JOIN LITTLEWORLD FOR EXTRA BENEFITS
The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this article/post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Woolworths or any of its affiliates, directors, officers, employees and/or advisors.