How A Healthy Relationship With Dad Affects Our Girls
1.
At this point, you have already realized that your daughter is not always going to be your little princess (although sometimes you wish she would!).
She is growing quickly from a child into a teen, or a teen into a young woman and at times it is a *B.
U.
M.
P.
Y* ride.
So jump on the ride and decide to grow, learn, change and be flexible WITH her.
2.
Be open...
to being open in conversations with her.
Try to really understand her point of view and listen to what she has to say.
This makes her feel that she is being heard and being heard makes her feel validated, even if you don't necessarily agree with what she is saying.
Try your best to stay away from using harsh words or very strong reactive responses.
This tends to make a lasting impression and can easily shut her down.
3.
Guide her and help her make sensible decisions while giving her space to make her own decisions too.
Try to decrease the amount of times you impose your own opinions.
This is a time where she needs and wants to begin to explore her own thoughts and opinions.
4.
Respecting other women in her life will help her feel even more confident as a woman herself.
5.
Showing affection and expressing love for your girl will give her a sense of security and will help her build other healthy, loving relationships.
6.
Play an active role and encourage and support your girl in all her adventures...
even those girlie adventures that you might not know much about.
Rest assured she will be happy to tell you all about them! 7.
Be reasonable when setting boundaries, follow-through with discipline and praise the behavior that you want to see more of.
8.
For all Dads...
take some time to pat yourself on the back.
You are doing one of the hardest jobs on the planet.
And although she might not always show it, she is REALLY happy that day after day you show up and are there for her.
***The truth is that we cannot always control what she is doing or exposed to outside of the home (I know sometimes you wish you could!) and we cannot always control some of the challenges that life will throw at her, but we CAN provide her with a strong, loving, trusting, confidence filled relationship that she will take with her wherever she goes.
*** *Playful Tip* Take 15 minutes of quality time to really listen to your girl share a story about her crazy last days of the school year, play catch together, inquire about a new activity that she has recently taken an interest in or help her gear up and get ready for camp...
maybe even leave some of those sticky notes in her camp gear saying how much you care for her.
At this point, you have already realized that your daughter is not always going to be your little princess (although sometimes you wish she would!).
She is growing quickly from a child into a teen, or a teen into a young woman and at times it is a *B.
U.
M.
P.
Y* ride.
So jump on the ride and decide to grow, learn, change and be flexible WITH her.
2.
Be open...
to being open in conversations with her.
Try to really understand her point of view and listen to what she has to say.
This makes her feel that she is being heard and being heard makes her feel validated, even if you don't necessarily agree with what she is saying.
Try your best to stay away from using harsh words or very strong reactive responses.
This tends to make a lasting impression and can easily shut her down.
3.
Guide her and help her make sensible decisions while giving her space to make her own decisions too.
Try to decrease the amount of times you impose your own opinions.
This is a time where she needs and wants to begin to explore her own thoughts and opinions.
4.
Respecting other women in her life will help her feel even more confident as a woman herself.
5.
Showing affection and expressing love for your girl will give her a sense of security and will help her build other healthy, loving relationships.
6.
Play an active role and encourage and support your girl in all her adventures...
even those girlie adventures that you might not know much about.
Rest assured she will be happy to tell you all about them! 7.
Be reasonable when setting boundaries, follow-through with discipline and praise the behavior that you want to see more of.
8.
For all Dads...
take some time to pat yourself on the back.
You are doing one of the hardest jobs on the planet.
And although she might not always show it, she is REALLY happy that day after day you show up and are there for her.
***The truth is that we cannot always control what she is doing or exposed to outside of the home (I know sometimes you wish you could!) and we cannot always control some of the challenges that life will throw at her, but we CAN provide her with a strong, loving, trusting, confidence filled relationship that she will take with her wherever she goes.
*** *Playful Tip* Take 15 minutes of quality time to really listen to your girl share a story about her crazy last days of the school year, play catch together, inquire about a new activity that she has recently taken an interest in or help her gear up and get ready for camp...
maybe even leave some of those sticky notes in her camp gear saying how much you care for her.