It's Good for Children to Roughhouse with Their Dads
For mothers, all of the noise and banging that occurs when children roughhouse with their dads can be a bit alarming. However, this type of boisterous play actually helps children to be happier and more successful. We’ll tell you more in the article below.
Roughhousing
In fact, in Top Dog, a book about the science of winning and losing, authors Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman argue that rough play offers children a competitive advantage. What’s more, they claim that it helps them learn to prosper in a world that constantly becoming more complicated.
We know by intuition that something magical is happening when a dad lies down on the floor and lets his kids climb all over him. Even if we’re a bit afraid of something breaking or someone getting hurt… We know that this type of play is special because it increases the emotional bond between father and child.
However, are you aware that this relation even affects the way in which our children see the world? And that it affects the way they see themselves in the world? Did you know that when children roughhouse with their dads, it helps protect them against childhood depression?
We need to understand that roughhousing is a good way for children to release energy and burn off steam. What’s more, it teaches them how to set boundaries. When we look at the activity with a new perspective, we can relax and even enjoy these moments.
The bond between children and their mothers
As mothers, we dedicate every fiber of our beings to nourishing, caring for, and protecting our babies… Every tear, every fall, every skinned knee, we’re always ready to rush in and to comfort and console. The journey of motherhood has allowed us to be more connected and in sync with our children. We have a connection that’s much deeper than we could have ever imagined.
During the first years of life, the development of our children requires more from us. As parents, we assume the role of active participants and our children, for the most part, follow our example. However, by nature, there comes a time when we need to stop being so active and involved.
The parental bond continues to grow in an independent and very significant way. With mothers, the bond develops during early infancy. With fathers, it develops a bit later on when fathers emerge as a safe ground that allows little ones to explore and take risks.
What is roughhousing?
Roughhousing is essentially a mutually aggressive and interactive play that requires a high level of trust. And most importantly, no one should get hurt. After children participate in this type of play, they feel more relaxed, connected, and happy. This is fundamental when it comes to establishing strong and lasting bonds with their fathers.
In fact, it lays the foundations for the part of their development that helps them function in the world. It also paves the way for the success and happiness of future generations by socializing children properly so they can grow up to be good parents.
The great news is there are all sorts of ways for children to roughhouse with their dads. Therefore, fathers who are more averse to extreme physicality can still easily find other forms that better adapt to their style. Unlike many other animals, human beings need their fathers far beyond the simple act of being born.
Parents play a key role in the optimal development of their children’s psychological and emotional traits. These include empathy, emotional control, and the ability to navigate complex social relationships, to name a few.
It’s good for children
When children roughhouse with their dads, their dads rile them up during play and then calm them down. This pattern teaches children to control their emotions, a characteristic that makes them more popular among superiors and peers.
Children who roughhouse with their dads are more likely to develop healthy relationships as adults. At the same time, they’re more likely to obtain a socially stable position and become capable parents. In this sense, fathers that invest in their children’s healthy development also give their future grandchildren an advantage.
All children need loving physical contact, and both girls and boys need to obtain it from their fathers. During roughhousing, fathers and children obtain the endorphins of sports and the oxytocin of a good hug. This benefits them in the same way as the release of oxytocin that takes place when a child’s being comforted.