As for the role of our father…
In general, the first year of babies is the mother. Especially during pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, the role of the mother dominates. However, fathers also play a very important role. Above all, it is very important for your baby to bond with the father as well as the mother. The role of the father has changed dramatically over the past three decades. From the early 60’s until the 80’s, fathers were not allowed in the delivery room. Fathers are now included as much as possible in the pregnancy and birth experience. The value of their participation is recognized. Birth classes started in the 1970s. However, parents were not always allowed to attend at that time. There are now stay-at-home dads. Some fathers cook and are more involved in the upbringing of children. In many countries, especially in Europe, paternity leave and maternity leave are now available. In countries such as Spain and Sweden, fathers can stay with the family for a year on paid leave when they have children. In our country, fathers are more prominent as authority figures. However, as much as discipline, babies and children need to be embraced by their fathers and strengthen the bonds of love and communication.
The father’s direct bond with the baby…
There are many ways fathers can communicate directly with toddlers. It is best to give the baby a bath. It is usually fathers who give the child the first bath and hold the baby first in case of cesarean section. It is important for the father to establish a relationship with his baby through an activity of his own. This may be changing, bathing, or dressing. For the father, the goal should be to take time to bond with his baby. If this bond is established in the puerperium, a positive psychological relationship with the father begins in the rest of childhood. According to researches, people treat their children in the same period as they were cared for in the first period of their lives. As you can see, our behavior patterns always have lasting effects on them, even if they are babies.
As the child grows older, the father’s activities with the child need not be different from those of the mothers. It just depends on the timing of the two adults. It is valuable for the child to see his mother and father performing the same type of activities. Parents can do these activities in different ways. But the boy admits that they both did well. This helps prevent the formation of gender biases. Sharing these activities with the father allows more time for the mother to bond with her baby if she is not working or on maternity leave, as she stays at home. Therefore, more time should be devoted to more fatherhood on weekends. This also gives the mother some opportunity to take some time for herself.
Dads can help during the weaning period…
Fathers can be especially helpful during the weaning process. When the baby stops breastfeeding, the mother needs to be away. Because the baby can smell the milk, and the screams can be more powerful than the mother can handle. The father may be in charge of the nighttime routine during weaning, making the process go faster and less traumatic.
Especially girls’ relationships with their fathers have different characteristics in the early years. According to Freud, especially in the following years, children aged four, five and six generally experience the Oedipal Life Stage (Freud). This is the period when girls want to marry their fathers and boys want to marry their mothers. “I already have a wife, when you grow up you will find someone who loves you enough that you might want to marry” is great. The purpose of saying these from today is to understand that some of your baby’s movements are shaped within a part of his development, independent of his love for you. If a girl is fond of her father in certain periods, it is not because of the lack of love for her mother. We felt the need to make this warning because some mothers think that they are not “preferred” despite their great efforts during pregnancy and the first year. When you raise your baby with consciousness and love, you will definitely see the reward.