Bonding with your Kids

[erttrainer]

Hi All
Thought I would start a new one.
As I work all day and DS is Breast feed I do not get to bond with him through feeding HOWEVER! I shower DS almost every night and it has been a fantastic time to have with just the two of us.
There is nothing better then getting home and he sees you and cracks a huge gummy smile, as he grows older (5 months) his personality has started to come out.
how have others found bonding were ther problems or did it just happen naturaly? :doh:

[MyGuys]

Your partner could try expressing (if she wants) once a day and you could do the bedtime feed. This way she will get a break too.

You could spend time reading bedtime stories now too since your littlie is getting a bit older and would start to enjoy some nice books with great pictures and a story you can enhance.

You could take a bath with your littlie - this would last longer than a shower, and then he will get to splash in the water too.

But really, just be fun and enjoy the time.

[WorkingClassMum]

Try Baby Massage - bubs will sleep better, really enjoy being touched lovingly.

My cousin has a little girl with cerebal palsy - her daddy massages her each night - it is so beautiful to watch - they REALLY connect.

[Seekrit]

My husband has found that he's only really bonded with Cobey when he's been a little more interactive and independent... it's a normal thing for dad's.
Cobey's now 18 months and Cobes and Chris are great mates! Since about 12 months they've been able to play chasies and all sorts of other games. It DOES happen naturally, just a bit later for daddies.. don't feel bad - you're normal. (in fact I can drag up a thread if you REALLY want me to about my husband talking about the same thing)

[Xanthic]

My situation is rather different. My GF and I have never lived together and our kids live with her. I have had my kids overnight within a few weeks of birth.

For my son I had him 3 nights per week for the first year. I would be up with him 3 or 4 times a night feeding so we have developed a very solid bond.

My daughter has me wrapped around her little fingure and she knows it.

[FarmerBlog]

Hey Erttrainer,

Welcome to Bubhub :yelclap:

I didnt have any problems bonding with Oliver, but this may have been because I could put him to sleep while we where still in hosptial following his birth.

But 1 thing I found is that the baby packs are great for bonding. Whenever we went out I would always put him in that and carry him around. :yes:

[erttrainer]

Hi All
Thanks for the feedback
After reading my original post I realize that what I wrote did not correctly put across what I wanted to say.
Connor and I have never had a bonding issue as per say, though it is hard going off to work and missing all the new things he does especially as DF is a stay at home mum and he responds so much more to her then me, but one thing I have found over the last month as DS starts to get his own personality, when I get home DF hands him to me as he has been complaining for the last hour or so, as soon as I am home he stops, its great.
I wanted to start a thread for people to tell there special moments, especially as I can't wait till Connor is older and I can play chasie ect with him. :doh:

[StillDad]

Well, I may have had more time by now to bond with my children since they currently are 27 and 29 years old respectively.

But we had many ways to bond over the years.

The most prominent for the longest time was going to baseball games - as I did with my father and he did with his uncle. Since 1987 I had season tix and my kids took turns coming with me throughout the season.

Today, eventhough my daughter lives 1100 miles away, we still call each other to discuss our team.

She also makes plans to come up to visit during baseball season so she can go to a game or two with me still.

My son (and daughter-in-law) live only a few miles away and we still go to games very often as well. (Not to mention hockey games, though he and I root for rival teams.)

I also coached each one when the played youth baseball.

There were other interests that we bonded through, but baseball was the number 1.