Dear Mr. Dad: I’m a stay-at-home father and I’m committed to being very involved in my son’s life. He just turned one and we usually have a great time together, but I’m starting to get worried that he’s going to think I’m boring. What do I do to keep him entertained?
A: This is definitely on the list of top 10 questions I get from new dads. I had the same worries my first time around, and we’re far from alone.
Let’s start with one of the key words you used: “entertained.” As you know from your own life, for most adults, there’s a big difference between play and work. But for kids, everything is play, and that’s how they learn about the world. Play teaches them about shapes, textures, colors, sounds, and the laws of physics (if I drop something, it falls down; some objects float in water, others don’t; if I push that green button, a puppet will jump up). It also teaches them about feelings (if I make those cute cooing sounds, mommy and daddy will pick me up and kiss me, but if I throw my toys, they’ll make that frowny face and do that eyebrow thing that makes me feel bad). It even teaches them about empathy (when daddy and I are rolling around on the floor, it’s okay for me to poke him once or twice, but anything more than that, and he puts me in my crib).
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