When your daughter was born, you probably felt apprehensive about whether you would be able understand her, and how you could relate to her needs. She is a totally different, beautiful creature compared to you, and she will most certainly relate to her mom than to you. But the father-daughter relationship is an important factor in her character development, especially later in life. A number of research studies suggest that fathers impacts the personality of their daughters as much as that of their mothers.
One revealed that the quality of father-daughter relationship can affect the latter’s way of choosing a romantic partner. If you are a ready to improve your relationship daughter and do your best to make sure she can go anywhere she wants to in life, then let me give you some tips to help you connect with your daughter.
Boost Her Confidence and Eliminate Insecurity
Shower your daughter with confidence by giving her compliments. Compliment her personality, attitude, talent and intelligence. You already know how beautiful your daughter is, so there is no need to stress that to her. In fact, talking about her physical appearance especially her body can help her achieve positive body confidence.
Show Your Softer Side
“No tears.” “Boys don’t cry.” Those were some of the phrases we probably heard often when we were boys. We are discouraged from showing our vulnerabilities. But in actuality, showing your emotional side is a sign of strength. There is nothing to be ashamed about when showing your emotions and being true to yourself.
Show this side of yourself and be open about it with your daughter. This in turn encourages her to accept herself and her feelings. She can quickly learn how to properly process and understand emotions. In addition, showing openness will strengthen your connection with her and promote honesty and empathy between the two of you.
Another way to display your softer side is to show how you appreciate her individuality. Compliment her fashion sense and support her style by taking her shopping for clothes that make her feel cute.
Define Gentleman
You are the first example your daughter will look to understand what a real gentleman is, and how a woman should be treated by a man. Demonstrate your respect and love for her mother through both your words and actions. This is the best way to teach your daughter the very definition of love and respect.
Remember that girls’ understanding about their environment is defined by the actions, words and habits they learn at home. Later in life, your daughter will build her individuality and principles based on how you and her mother behaved during her formative years.
Communicate and Listen to Her
Maybe you have different hobbies or mismatched activities, but you shouldn’t use this as an excuse for you not to spend quality time with your daughter. Communication is a two-way system. You need to find time to talk to her and listen to her. Talk about her day, her issues and her your thoughts. Listen to her rants, complaints and her struggles. Make her feel that she is being taken seriously and that her opinion matters.
Know your Daughter’s Friends
Take the time to know your daughters’ friend. They are also one of the important aspects in her life that will shape the person she becomes. They are the ones she talks to, gets along with and spends most of her time with. Getting closer to them means getting closer to your daughter. There will be a time when your daughter will raise her walls for the sake of privacy and won’t necessarily want to talk to you before someone else, and that’s okay. As she grows, she’ll want more privacy, and want more time with her friends, and by being friendly and getting to know them, you’re showing that you care about her social circle, while also ensuring her friends treat her with respect.
