Sometimes dads can struggle to create a strong bond with their kids.
Key points
  • “Building a strong connection with your kids is one of the most important investments you can make as a father.”
  • Reconnecting with your kids doesn’t happen overnight, but it’s worth every effort.
  • Listen to the full conversation in the player above.

But according to Sam Hudson, dads can bond with their kids and build a trusting, open relationship.

As the Head of Youthworks Getaways, Sam believes in strengthening family bonds through immersive outdoor adventures and experiences that celebrate God’s creation.

He caught up with Hope Weekends’ Yvette McDonnell to chat about how dads can connect with their kids.

“Building a strong connection with your kids is one of the most important investments you can make as a father,” he said and encourages dad that if their bond with the kids isn’t as strong as they’d like it to be, there are practical steps they can take to reconnect and foster meaningful relationships.

1. Reevaluate your activities

Reconnection requires effort and is going to take time.

So, where are you going to find that time?

It may mean cutting down time ‘doom scrolling’ on social media or perhaps it’s time to reevaluate certain activities – a sporting, social or work commitment that you could remove or at least reel in.

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Saturday afternoon golf might need to go on hold for a while.

It may not be forever.

It may be a pause for a time so that you can be available to invest the time into the family.

Consider how much your presence and attention mean to your children, and remind yourself that this intentional time together strengthens bonds that will last a lifetime.

“Building a strong connection with your kids is one of the most important investments you can make as a father.”

2. Prioritise quality experiences and quantity time

Kids love unwrapping a gift but the memory of the toy is shallow.

In your childhood, do you remember more detail about the gifts or the holidays?

It’s the experiences that help us reconnect far more deeply than possessions.

It doesn’t need to be a lavish overseas holiday, camping in the backyard together might be just what is needed.

Consider taking up a shared hobby you can do together – volunteering, cycling, surfing, or running.

Quality connections and conversations rarely happen without ‘quantity’ of time spent with each other.

Reconnecting with your kids doesn’t happen overnight, but it’s worth every effort.

3. Spend one-on-one time with each child

Build a family routine that fosters one-on-one time every day.

Your children will value your undivided attention.

Spend five minutes to put each child to bed each night.

Take the opportunity to debrief their day, pray together and read the Bible, the book of Mark is a great book to start with.

If this seems like too much of a hurdle, watching something together might be a good start.

Sit on the lounge together, laugh together, get scared together, cry together, share the emotional rollercoaster the writer intended.

Beware of dual screening – one show, episode or movie on one screen.

When we ‘dual screen’ we go alone on that emotional rollercoaster.

Listen to the full conversation in the player above.

Reconnecting with your kids doesn’t happen overnight, but it’s worth every effort.

By making intentional changes, prioritising meaningful experiences, and spending one-on-one time with each child, you’ll be strengthening bonds that last a lifetime.

Start today—because the memories and relationships you build now will shape your family’s future forever.

Youthworks Getaways helps strengthen family bonds through immersive outdoor adventures and experiences that celebrate God’s creation.

Listen to the full conversation in the player above.


Feature image: Photo by CanvaPro

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