The Diaper Change Connection

I was changing my toddlers diaper the other day and despite the smell and overall disgusting nature of the task I realized that we were both enjoying ourselves. It is such a rare occasion in our modern life to slow down and just look at another human being. It would be awkward to do that to a stranger or even a friend for too long but our children need that kind of connection.

I was thinking to myself, when was the last time that I looked at my 7 year old for the same amount of time that I do with my toddler when I am changing his diaper. Sometimes after the diaper change is done, I’ll stand there for a couple minutes just tickling and interacting with him. He gets a regular dose of face time with dad. How about the other kids?

How can we as dads create that kind of interaction with our older kids? It is harder to pin them down and force them to stare into our eyes but here are a few suggestions:

Don’t Stop Wrestling – For as long as you are physically able, wrestle those monsters to the ground. The connection you get while wrestling has been proven to make a huge impact on a child’s development.

Bedtime tuck-ins – Take some extra time at bed time to connect with each child. Say a prayer over each one, sing them a song or just ask them how their day was. They are generally a captive audience and happy to talk as it delays bedtime. Make this a part of your daily rhythm.

Also, I just assumed this was happening, but help change the diapers! Make it a time of connection and fun (but not too much fun because we want them to be potty trained eventually). I saw a ‘dad-hack’ where the dad put a phone with a show on in his hat while he changed a diaper and I think he is blowing it. Obviously it was a joke but let’s not waste those precious moments with our young kids. It won’t be like this forever so let’s make the most of it.