These bonding experiences are not only good for your partner and your newborn baby, but they also give you a well-deserved break. Here's how to make it happen.
Do you melt when you see your partner interacting with your baby? I know that. Watching my husband spend time with our son is very rejuvenating and inspiring at times. My husband is patient, playful, and attentive (maybe I'm biased, but I think he's pretty good). Sometimes we sneak out the door and listen to each other make noise. Precious stuff!
Like the mother in the picture, my husband spends a lot of time with me and I feel a bit responsible for establishing contact with our son. When I think about it, I know that the time I spend with him is valuable and important to our relationship.
Do you want to do the same for your partner and your baby? Here are a few ways you can try to promote father-son bonding in our home:
1. Involve Your Partner in Breastfeeding Time
Since I am breastfeeding, the actual breastfeeding doesn't often get taken over by my husband, especially since I use breastfeeding as one of those moments to connect with my kids after work (I drink the milk I pump in the nursery). Does this mean that my father can't participate in breastfeeding? Absolutely not! My husband does most of the burping, but I often get hysterical while the spit is flying all over the place. Not only does it help our son get to know his father, but it's now a little ritual that the whole family does together.
2. Hug Your Partner and Baby Together
Evenings with a newborn can be a little chaotic, whether it's eating, changing diapers, doing laundry, eating dinner, or even just saying hello to your other precious child. One of the things I've found useful is letting my husband and baby have cuddle time. This frees up my hands to do the necessary chores right away and encourages them to have quality time together. It doesn't matter who wins!
3. Make Bath Time a Family Event
Do you love bath time with your baby? My kids love to get in the hot water and get a baby massage. We enjoy bath time as a family more often than not. My husband is the one who washes his body and I wash my son's hair. Some of my fondest memories so far have been during bath time, and it was a joy to watch my husband grow in confidence as I held my slippery, twisted baby in my arms.
4. Make Your Partner Part of Your Morning Routine
Each family seems to have a different morning routine (here's what our family does). It's my husband's job to change the baby's diaper and dress them and get them ready for the day. Then they stay for a few minutes while I finish getting dressed. These morning moments really mean a lot to my husband and are a huge boost for a baby's time before I go to work. They may not fit into your schedule, but try to be creative. There's definitely a way to combine a quality connection with the routine you need.
5. Ask Your Partner to Read You a Bedtime Story
Let your baby know the voice of another parent and feel carried away by it. Let your partner pick out a book for you too. It's your first introduction to your child's tastes and preferences (at least as far as child lighting is concerned!). At the same time, it's a great way to help your partner relax from the day, just look into your child's eyes and see how your little one reacts to everything you have to say.
6. Let Your Partner and Child Improve Themselves
As a mother (or wife?), sometimes you want to control everything. Can't you even understand that? But one of the best things for my husband and me is when I let them do their own thing with the baby. Whether that means spending time in my stomach or reading a book, I learn to find great things they can do together and they like it much better when I don't have to use my hands.