Balancing between your job demands
and being available for your child can be quite the challenge, but with a
little tweaking here and there, you should be able to pull it off. Here are a
few suggestions to help you better bond with your baby with the available time
you have:

1- Be there as much as possible

The first three or four years of your
child’s life are crucial to your child’s brain development, as they constitute
the formative years when your child’s brain making connections and forming
patterns that will last a lifetime. I’m not implying that you have to be
available 24/7, but rather that you spend as much time as you can with your
child so your child knows you are there.

How can you spend time but still get
your work done? For example, have your baby play with toys or games next to you
while you do other work, or get ready for work in the morning. Take him
shopping or for a car ride when appropriate. It takes those everyday moments to
establish and sustain a strong bond with your child. The quantity as well as
the quality of time spent together is important.

2- Touch more

Cuddle with your baby, cradle and
touch him while feeding him the bottle before bedtime. When you come back home,
call upon him and ask for a hug. Hold him and carry him around (even though he
is already walking). Pick an activity that only you and he do together,
something special that he can associate to you only.

3- Read to your child

Children love to be read to. They are
particularly sensitive to the physical closeness of sitting next to you or
being held in your lap. And they cherish having your full attention in a shared
activity. Reading promotes a child’s intellectual and language development.
It’s also a comforting ritual.

4- Foster good communication

Including nonverbal cues such as the
way you look into your child’s eyes and the soothing tone of your voice, children
notice the ways you communicate to them. Talk to your child as much as you can;
ask questions, make eye contact to let your child know you are present. And
finally, saying I love you lets children know they are safe, secure and
unconditionally loved.

 Remember, this is a process and may take some time before you notice improvement in the dynamics of your relationship with your baby.