Starting in the weeks preceding my son’s birth, my husband continually informed me that babies don’t have a strong bond with their father until they are two-three years old. The logic was that, since moms tend to take the lead in feeding and early-infant routines, the babies bond most closely with the mother. It was ““ apparently ““ common knowledge that moms get the early days and that dads get involved when the child is able to go fishing, throw a ball or play more actively.
I questioned this “knowledge””“ in my mind, it sounded like a great excuse to do a lot of guilt-free fishing.
My husband is a great provider and takes great pride in supporting the family ““ however, the cost of this support includes weekly business travel. Pre-baby, I took secret solace in the fact that, if hubby had to travel, at least he was going to exotic places like Oklahoma and the U.P. of Michigan.
Post-baby, I started to question whether the time he spent away would influence our son’s bond with dad ““ perhaps there was some truth to my husband’s baby-father bond theory, after all.
While, like most babies, mine likes to keep me on my toes, the one thing he has consistently insisted on is an early bedtime. This early bedtime (and late morning waking ““ hooray!) combined with my husband’s travel means that he frequently goes days without seeing his dad.