Page 8 - North State Parent June 2020

for community By Sarah Lyons
Great Ways Dads are Different Josh and Kelley Otto with their children Kayla, Cole, Jonah and Violet are ready for a picnic and being silly together.
There is no denying that there are differences between how moms and dads parent their kids. Just because dads may do things differ-
ently than moms doesn't mean their parenting style is less beneficial. A different perspective on how to handle challenges, how to have fun and how to show affection is great for kids. Here are some great ways dads are dif- ferent.
Dads play differently
When I watch my husband interact with our kids, I notice one significant difference– how they play to-
gether. My husband will often hide, and when the kids start looking for him, he will jump out and scare them. He fills water balloons for an hour to have a water fight that lasts five minutes. He spends time building Legos and helping the kids learn how to follow the instruc- tions. He wrestles with, laughs with and good-natured- ly teases the kids. They love it. Most of these things I would rarely do; some I would avoid if possible.
Dads have a way of bringing silliness and fun into our children's lives, usually in the form of a game. The kids love it, the dads love it, and it strengthens the bond between them.
Dads are more flexible
This may not apply to all dads, but many are a little more flexible than moms. When I was a little girl, my mom had a weekly night out with her friends, and my dad was in charge. This meant fried egg and ketchup sandwiches and staying up late watching TV. I remem- ber the time Dad let us have ice cream for dinner. We walked to the ice cream shop, and my brother and I or- dered bubble gum ice cream cones. By the time we had walked home, we were covered in a sticky mess. Instead of a bath, Dad sprayed us down with a hose, took us in- side and changed us right into our pajamas and 9
Prepare for later, now.
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