Children are struggling to say 'I love you' to their dads, says Relate Mid Wiltshire (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Children are struggling to say 'I love you' to their dads, says Relate Mid Wiltshire

10:19am Wednesday 13th June 2012 in News

In the run up to Father’s Day, Relate Mid Wiltshire has found that 56 per cent of people in an online poll find it difficult to tell their dad they love him.

While it’s no surprise many find it hard to have a heart to heart with our fathers, Relate counsellors are concerned at the high numbers of people missing out on a good relationship with their dad altogether.

Relate Mid Wiltshire offers family counselling to help get families talking again, and can offer advice on any aspect of family life.

And according to The Way We Are Now The Relate /Talk Talk Relationship Report, there are some very positive signs of healthy relationships among dads and their off-spring:

* 71 per cent rate their relationship with their dad as good or very good;

* 16 per cent speak to our dads on the phone at least once a day.

Yet for many, our relationships with our fathers are either under-valued or broken-down:

* 41 per cent only see our dads once a month or less;

* One per cent said their most important relationship was with their father (when asked who their most important relationship was with: 65 per cent chose their partner, 15 per cent chose their children and 7 per cent chose their mum);

* 13 per cent scored their relationship with their dad as poor or very poor.

Relate counsellor Christine Northam offers advice for improving communication with your dad or step-dad:

* In some families there’s still a hangover from the past that says dad doesn’t do ‘emotional stuff’. If you’d like to be able to tell your dad or step-dad you love him and can’t, remember it may feel like a big step but it could make you more emotionally connected.

* Loving relationships are a two-way thing. Maybe someone else in the family could help by asking ‘how do the children know you love them?’ This could get your dad thinking about how he lets you know he loves you.

* Fathers and step-fathers play a valuable role in creating happy families, so finding any way to let him know how important he is to you could make all the difference.

Any family can come to Relate for help. It doesn’t matter what their size or make-up is.

Relate Mid Wiltshire can help families understand and cope better with the stresses and strains of family life and get everyone talking again.

To find out more information about confidential counselling support, call 0300 003 1781 or visit www.relate.org.uk for more information and advice.