Relationships of any kind require a few things in order to grow and thrive. The necessities include being willing and able to put energy into the relationship while remaining open to what the other person is giving to you. While that might seem a little vague, you can relate this overall principle to a relationship with someone else by remaining thoughtful about your actions and how you choose to maintain that connection.
Relationships with family members can be some of the strongest, but also some of the most difficult at times. If you’ve been thinking about your current father and son dynamic (whether it’s positive or needs work), know that no family relationship is perfect.
A strong relationship between a father and son requires a lot of work and, even then, life comes into play in many different ways. However, the work put in turns into priceless rewards in the form of connection, understanding, and closeness between the two. Here are a few tips on strengthening your father-son relationship.
1. Make Communication a Priority:
It’s no secret that communicating with someone is important when fostering a relationship with them. Rather, communication in this sense refers specifically to the thoughtful and intentional effort one person makes to understand and learn about the other person. It also refers to the effort made during an issue or disagreement. From a father-son standpoint, this might play out in a few ways.
Communication could mean calling your dad or son every Tuesday and asking him about his week, telling him about the new sustainable men’s swimwear you just bought, congratulating his favorite sports team on a recent victory, or something similar. The main point here is that there is an effort being made between both of you!
2. Express Interest in His Interests:
Another way to strengthen a father-son relationship is to talk to them about the things they enjoy in addition to the things you’re interested in. If your father is passionate about home improvement projects and it’s something you’d like to bond over, then make an effort to ask him about it! Email him a cool article about DIY projects, ask for advice on your own home renovations, and include him in the process.
3. Learn His Love Language:
Love languages might seem a bit more geared toward romantic relationships, but they can help strengthen a father-son relationship as well because not everyone loves in exactly the same way. Learning about your dad or son’s love language (meaning how they recognize, give and communicate love) can also help you determine the best gifts or rewards for them! The five love languages are physical touch, words of affirmation, acts of service, material gifts, and quality time.
For father-son relationships, quality time and acts of service are among the most popular. Take the time to explore the way he communicates love and act on that. For example, if you’re a father with younger or teenage sons, you might notice a “material gifts” love language begin to emerge in them. You can respond to this by rewarding them for an accomplishment with a tangible gift like father son matching swim trunks or a playset you can build together. Though they may not fully understand it at the time, you’re making an effort to understand and love them better.
4. Try New Things Together:
In addition to learning about what they’ve already shown interest in, you can strengthen your relationship with them by trying something you’ve both yet to do! This can be personalized to your specific preferences and doesn’t have to be a world travel excursion or grand gesture every time.
You can propose a new experience on a smaller level like trying a new type of cuisine, trying your best at trivia somewhere in town, ordering clothes from a new brand you’ve heard about, or simply getting together to watch a movie you both missed in theaters. The memories you’ll create from these first-time experiences will last forever.
5. Embrace Patience and Positivity:
Sometimes it might feel like you’re doing all the work. Sometimes it might seem as though your father-son relationship isn’t as good as others you’ve heard about or witnessed. These thoughts and feelings can be discouraging and distract you from improving a father-son relationship. Remind yourself to be patient.
Your unique personalities and experiences defy norms and should not be stereotyped, which means there’s no specific timeline for how quickly or in what way a relationship should progress. Focus on the progress you’ve made, no matter how small, and move forward with optimism!
