Everybody can feel like they want to bond with their child more. That connection is so important, and it is when their baby both sides will certainly reap the benefits. However, many parents might feel that they aren’t bonding with their baby properly. If you feel guilty that you’re not doing enough, or something is just not clicking, try a few of these approaches that can work together to improve that bonding experience.
Go Swimming
It’s so important to spend time in the water with your child. It’s not just a fantastic way for you to bond, but it’s also a place of comfort for your child, especially as they spent nine months in your belly encased in water. If you are looking for a way to be more hands-on in the water, there are many swim lessons for babies you can take advantage of.
Having More Eye Contact
If you are someone who is naturally shy, don’t let this be an opportunity to reinforce your shyness! Keeping eye contact with your baby will help them to remember who you are and what you mean to them. Eye contact is such an important lesson for our babies and this little thing will make a massive difference. The best time to do it is during bottle time as they are in your arms and you have that physical closeness.
Skin-To-Skin Contact
No doubt you have heard a lot about the benefits of skin-to-skin contact, and even if you carry the baby in your belly for 9 months, you can still miss out on that physical connection. Using skin-to-skin, sometimes known as “kangaroo care,” has an abundance of benefits for both of you, including regulating the baby’s heart rate and breathing, as well as ramping up oxytocin, the love hormone.
Don’t Immediately Reach for Your Phone
Now is the ideal opportunity to have that proper bond with your baby. While the baby may not always be too reactive to the world around them, especially at a young age, now is the ideal time to put that phone away and have that proper opportunity to spend real time with your little one. Because, as the cliche goes, they won’t be young for long!
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
Stress is one of those things that our baby will pick up on, and if they associate the time you spend together with the concept of stress, they will begin to think this is supposed to be an anxiety-inducing time. Take those opportunities to learn how to calm down. If you find it’s not so easy, think about breathing exercises, but also not worrying about the mess! You don’t need to tidy the house all of the time, and you should just make sure that you give them all the cuddles they need.
If you want to be a caring parent, think about all of the little moments that make a massive difference to the world around you and your baby. Bonding is one of those things that comes naturally to some, but not to others. So don’t worry about forcing it, it will come with time.
