Mothers tend to take the role of primary caregiver. Not particularly surprising considering the biological necessities of nature. As such, it’s not uncommon to hear a mother berate a father’s behavior towards their child in a way that might not be markedly dissimilar to a toddler receiving a good telling off.
Mums tend to be more averse to allowing their children to take risks, which isn’t always because of a propensity to be over-protective. A mom may consider a certain activity to be an accident waiting to happen, whereas a father may view a potential tumble as part of the experience of mastering a new maneuver or experimenting with an unknown activity.
Dads tend to be less anxious to follow advice and perhaps more inclined to stick with what works for their family unit. Mothers may be keener to heed opinion, share experiences and follow an alternative formula for fear of being blamed should anything go awry with their offspring. Trusting in your own instincts can be a lesson well learnt from a father’s style of parenting.
There are several aspects of the day to day care of a child over which many women are reluctant to relinquish control. Turning a blind eye to issues of control, such as clothing choices, can prove to be liberating for all family members. As long as children are safe and comfortable and dressed according to the weather, it’s immaterial whether their clothing is coordinated.
Women tend to feel responsible for the running of the household, making sure meal times are met and bedtime is abided by. This burden doesn’t leave an enormous amount of time for having fun and veering from the straight and narrow of parental schedules. Routines are an important part of parenting and combining parental styles can create a complementary compromise that deals with this difference.
Children relish veering from routine. So make the most of this enthusiasm and inject as much fun as possible into everyday rituals. If bath time or teeth cleaning prove to be tedious chores, why not choose the best electric toothbrush to suit your child? Don’t grit your teeth, divert your toddler with a toothbrush featuring their favorite Disney character. Turn a routine chore into an excuse for fun-filled role-play. Dads are the doyens when it comes to diverting children and don’t seem to view a battle of wills as a battle of life or death.