'He would reject me and look for his mum': Father opens up about attempts to bond with toddler son

Raising a child has its challenges.

But for Jason Tang, the task of doing so has been further complicated after he recently noticed behavioural changes in his two-year-old child, Kyson Tang.

His son would previously sleep next to him at night, but this changed after the young boy had a mattress for himself.

Not only did Kyson not want to sleep with his dad, but it also seemed like he had a favourite parent too.

"He would reject me and look for his mum," Jason said in a TikTok video on Monday (July 17).

In the clip, the 35-year-old shared a heartwarming moment of him trying to bond with his son over a scooter trip to an ice cream shop, where they enjoyed some dessert.

@jason4ofus Ice cream outing with my son to bond with him. #parenting #fatherson #icecream ♬ Storytelling - Adriel

The journey to the ice cream shop provided "opportunities for bonding" and Jason hoped that his son saw this as something of a mini-adventure.

After sweating it on the scooter, the father and son decided to find shelter (and dessert) at The Forage Cafe in Bedok.

The bonding session seemed well and truly underway as they looked to be enjoying each other's company, taking selfies and sharing an order of waffles and ice cream.

"I think I have to make a conscious effort to bring him out alone," Jason said.

He shared with AsiaOne that it's very important for him to have a close relationship with his son.

Jason explained: "The identity I identify myself most as now is a father to my two kids."

In the comments section, netizens were impressed by Jason's level of self-awareness and the effort he puts in to be present for his son.

"This will mean so much for your son when he grows up," one TikTok user commented.

Another netizen got emotional to the point of tears, as he grew up "as a son who has quite an absent father".

It seemed like Jason's upbringing may not have been too different from this user.

He told AsiaOne how he wasn't close to his father growing up, and they'd often find themselves in conflicts, which led to the pair becoming distant.

While there isn't that sense of closeness, Jason feels that he and his dad still love each other.

What he experienced as a child seemed to have shaped the type of father wants to be.

"I believe [that] because I'm not close to my father, it becomes very important to me to be close to my son," the father of two said.

While some parents can't wait for their kids to grow up, Jason is not of that nature and is keen on being present and enjoying the process as much as possible.

After all, once kids enter their teenage years, it might be a new set of dynamics for Jason and his wife to deal with.

"I believe when they go to secondary school, they will likely prioritise their friends over me," he cheekily mentioned.

ALSO READ: Thoughts of a father: The surprising truth about being a parent

amierul@asiaone.com

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