Tips for Dads to Bond with Baby

As much as I think I have my hands full, I think my husband has his share of hard(er) work when it comes to raising our three boys. He is their best friend and playmate. No one makes our boys laugh like their dad. And it swells my heart just thinking about the way each of them look at him with their adoring eyes. To be honest, I’m not sure if I have enough energy to do all the things he does with them on a daily basis.

Because he is so hands-on, one of the biggest frustrations he faced when we became parents was finding his own special way to bond with our babes. With each of our kids, I have (had) built-in solo and bonding time through our nursing sessions. Even in the chaos of our every day, I’m able to step away with the baby and spend time connecting and bonding.

On top of that, I work from home while my husband spends 40-50 hours away from the kids during the work week. So it goes without saying that my husband has to seek out these opportunities for bonding time. These are some of his tips for dads to bond with their babes.

Tips for Dads to Bond with Baby

Skin to Skin 

We’re hugely affectionate parents. We smother our boys in kisses and hugs daily. From the beginning, my husband made sure to have his own skin to skin time. This started from the days they were born to the first few weeks of the newborn days. He absolutely loves that he was able to bond with them both physically and emotionally from the onset of parenthood. Just as skin to skin with moms is important, there are so many benefits to skin to skin with dads, too.

Baby wearing

It’s probably not surprising that my husband loves baby wearing. He’s worn each of our three boys, even more than I’ve worn our babies. It’s more than just necessity for him. Baby wearing gives him an extra closeness to our kids since he spends so much time away from them during the week. He loves our new Ergobaby™ Omni 360 because it’s an all-in-one baby carrier that is the most versatile and so easy to use. His favorite part of the Ergobaby™ Omni 360 is the lumbar support and extra-cushioned cross-able shoulder straps. It makes baby wearing such an enjoyable and comfortable experience for both him and the babe.

Bath Time

I’m not sure when it started, but bath time is daddy duty in our house. After family dinner, my husband usually spends a little time playing with the kids, gives them a bath and gets them ready for bed time. Bath time is daddy duty, not only to give me a break, but also because his time with them is so short during the work week. He’s mastered the art of bathing the older boys in the big bath tub AND bathing the baby in his newborn tub. And mama is not complaining, one bit!

Weekend Trips

As the boys get older, my husband takes them up north a few times a year. Sometimes they go camping and other times they stay at a lake house. They spend time at the lake doing so many fun activities like boating, fishing, playing video games. The older boys look forward to these trips and are packed up and ready to go weeks in advanced. I love that they will have such great memories of their special “just boys” trips with their brothers and dad.

What are some of your Tips for Dads to Bond with Baby?

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