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Expert Q&A
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| By Joe Kelly Executive Director of DadsAndDaughters.com | ||
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My kids always run to their mom when they need something, or when they're hurt. This makes me feel left out, in ways, and I would like them to know they can come to me as well. How can I go about getting this message through to them?
Join in with mom as she comforts them. Don't push your way in, but be there and support the comforting. If they see you there showing your concern consistently and concretely, they are likely to start seeing you as a resource for comfort, too. Like in almost every other aspect of fathering, we get the message through by our actions and attitudes far more than by our words.
But words can be a great help, too. Don't be afraid to "tell stories on" yourself -- talk about how you felt when hurtful or stupid or silly things happened to you when you were their age. By opening that part of yourself to them, you invite them to respond in kind.
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