Fathers and play. Play and fathers.

Is there anything as much fun?

9 Benefits of Fathers Playing With Their Kids

1. Kids who have fathers who are active in their lives are less likely to get into trouble with the law and engage in deviant behaviour. Active dads look like: dads who play with their kids, encourage their kids to join in on activities they are doing, and fathers who talk to their kids.
2. Speaking of talking to your kids… Did you know that fathers have the greatest impact on the level of language skill acquisition in children aged 3 and younger? In other words, dads who talk and play with their kids really boost their language acquisition.
3. When fathers are active in the lives of their kids and take time out to play, guess what happens? Their kids do better in school!
4. Kids, especially boys, need roughhousing with their dads. Wrestling and other roughhousing is important social play for boys and helps them develop social skills in a way that comes naturally to them. So dads, ignore the way your wife freaks out and go roughhouse with your kids. (And show her this post.) Roughhouse play also provides essential physical contact that kids need from their fathers.
5. Roughhousing makes your kids feel loved. And if your kids feel loved… you’re going to see them behaving better.
6. Children with fathers who are active in their lives and take time to play with them are more confident, experience less feelings of depression, and enjoy greater life satisfaction.
7. Playing with your kids creates important bonds. If you build them when your kids are young you will enjoy the benefit of those bonds for years to come. (Think the teenage years as well as having kids who seek you out when they are all grown up and have moved away.)
8. Playing with your kids can help decompress stressful situations and allow for opportunities for your kids to reach out to you when they need help figuring something out, dealing with a tough situation and more.
9. It’s healthy for dads too. Sometimes dads feel like the 3rd wheel in a family and by taking time out to play with the kids can help fathers feel more involved and invested in their kids. Plus, it makes dads feel good!
10. The memories. Sometimes memories of the “good” times can really help when the family road gets a bit bumpy. Good memories to lean back on can make it all feel worth while and remind us that good times will come by again. You can also think of it this way: When you look back on the past… where are you going to wish you had spent your time and focus? What memories will you hope you had created when you had the chance?

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there! Let’s go play and create some fun memories.

What are your best memories with dad? What memories are you building with your kids? (Moms can answer too!)

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