The father-son relationship is a very special one. The bond that a father and son share is important to both the dad and son. However, it can be difficult at times to figure out what your son needs from you. He may not always tell you what he needs so it can leave you guessing.
Sometimes it’s easier to put yourself in his shoes at his age and reflect on what you wanted from your Dad. This will give you a place to start because you can start to exhibit the behaviors that you wanted from your own father.
Since my son was a baby, I have always reflected on how I wished my Dad acted when I was younger. I find this works for me but I do understand that this may not work for everyone. This list of 11 things a son needs from his father was created to help give some guidance and to help you strengthen your father-son relationship.
Encouragement
It’s important to always be your son’s biggest fan. Although this might not have to be said, this is a gentle reminder to always encourage your son. Ongoing encouragement from you will inspire confidence in your son. Whether it be sports related, school related or just life in general. Do your best to always be there encouraging him.
Acceptance
Your son is his own person. As much as you may want him to be exactly like you, he is going to have his own interests. It’s important to remain open-minded about this because your son may be interested in something that you are not interested in. The best thing you can do in these circumstances is demonstrate acceptance and show interest in his thoughts and ideas. Doing the opposite may result in an increase in tension and resentment between you both.
Be a good listener
One of the best ways to determine what your son needs is to listen to what he is saying. A lot of the time, you can gain a better understanding of what he needs from you when you become better at listening. This means that you will have to pay close attention to what he says and internalize the words he is speaking. This can be better achieved when you are not distracted by other things like electronic devices. This may take practice but eventually you may hear more of what he needs from you when you become better at listening.
Guidance
Your role as a father is very important. Even though your son may feel that he knows a lot, it falls under your responsibility to offer your son guidance. Doing this effectively will increase the chances of your son accepting your guidance. When you communicate with your son, it shouldn’t be in a condescending or combative way.
Being combative or condescending will only increase the chances that your son won’t follow your advice. In addition, actions speak louder than words when it comes to guidance too. When possible, demonstrate the behavior that you would like your son to emulate. When you do this, it can make it easier for your son to internalize and remember.
Unconditional love
Loving your son should come naturally. And for the rest of his life, it’s important to love him unconditionally no matter what is going on in your own life. While life can get busy and chaotic, your love for your son should not waver. This may be self explanatory but it’s important for your son to know that you love him unconditionally. He needs this from his father.
Support
Your son is going to go through a lot of changes in his life and he will need your support. From the time your son is an infant until he is a senior, you will want to support him as best you can. And this doesn’t always mean financially, this can mean emotionally too. Supporting your son through his good times and bad will strengthen the bond between the both of you.
Your undivided attention
Nowadays, it’s so easy to get distracted. You have a lot on the go. But it’s important to give your son your undivided attention. This means that when you are with him, put your phone away if possible or turn off notifications at the very least. Being fully engaged with your son is crucial. He needs to know that he has your full attention.
After all, most everything that you go through as a father are for moments like these. If you are distracted while you are with your son, it may send a subliminal message to your son that he is not as important as whatever else has your attention. Of course this cannot always be helped but limiting distractions will allow you to spend more quality time with your son.
Time together
Every situation is unique, but your son needs time together with you. This can be achieved by planning an activity together like fishing, camping or even an afternoon of running errands. The activity isn’t as important as the time that you spend together. As long as you are spending time with your son, that is what mostly matters. Just the two of you will benefit from the bonding time.
How to treat a woman
The first impression that your son will get as to how to treat women is from you, his Dad. How your son will treat women is learned behavior. So, if he sees you treat his mother with love and respect, chances are, that’s how he will treat women as he grows up. And this isn’t just to his mother, this extends to women in general. Whether it’s his sister or women in public, you will be planting the seed as to how to be respectful to women. This is a lifelong lesson that he needs from his father.
Patience
Having patience with your son is not only important at birth but is also important through adulthood. When your son was born, he required a lot of your patience because the both of you were going through a major life experience together. And as he gets older, it’s important to maintain this level of patience because there are going to be times when things will get frustrating. During these times it’s imperative to be patient with your son.
Empathy and Understanding
The most important thing to remember as your son goes through his life stages is to exercise empathy and understanding. He is going to need you to acknowledge that his feelings are valid. The more that he feels that you empathize with him the stronger your bond will become. And the more that you demonstrate understanding, the more he may open up to you.
Summary
No one doubts that you want to develop a stronger bond with your son. And sometimes a little guidance is all you need. The better that you communicate with your son the more you will understand what he needs from you as his father. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to uncovering this information but being open-minded to everything mentioned in this article can help you better understand how to strengthen the bond with your son.
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