Dads and daughters communicate with each other verbally or non-verbally. Sometimes, it can be of a complex nature. According to Joe Kelly, author, dads have a key role to play in their daughters’ perception about themselves. In fact, the relationship between daughters and their dad, and others as well, is greatly determined by the way the dad communicates and treats his daughters.
Hurdles
Many dads have to put in extra effort to in order to bond or communicate with their daughters. This is either because of their upbringing or due to the simple fact that women remain a mystery to some men. Dads always find it difficult to seek advice and get caught in a stereotyped thinking pattern. These include the dad knows it all, the second-in-line parent and the financial provider. It is difficult to overcome such thoughts and impede the communication between daughters and fathers.
Improving Communication
At any stage of the life of his daughter, the father must ask whether his daughter wants him to only listen to her or provide a solution. This will ensure that daughters show a great deal of open-mindedness when it comes to taking in the advice offered by their father. Fathers can communicate with their daughters when they play indoor sports using equipment like those you can find at https://uneekor.com/pages/launch-monitors, do fishing, take a walk, play video games, or wash the car. Whatever be the activity they get involved in, fathers must make an effort to bond with their daughters. It goes without saying that fathers can play a key role in the lives of their daughters by listening better and providing encouragement and support.
Emotional Intelligence
According to Dr. Linda Nielsen, father-daughter relationship expert, the focus on teaching little girls social communication and emotional skills than little boys is a major factor that impacts the communication between dads and daughters. Her advice is that the focus should be on emotional intelligence, which involves interpretation of the other person’s feelings. Daughters that run to their fathers to spend time with them as soon as they return from work quickly realize the need of their father to relax for some time prior to engaging in any conversations. Likewise, fathers must learn to keep his things aside when their daughters want to spend time with them. Timing is important and it helps fathers and daughters get better at understanding each other.
I-Messages
It is a good idea for fathers to use I-messages when speaking to their daughters. They should listen actively to what their daughters are saying and pause a little bit before giving a response. To give an example, a girl in her teens may tell her father that she wants to buy the for-sale used car that she happened to see on a website. Avoid uttering words such as “How much money have you saved?” or “You do not even have a driving license.” Instead, fathers can respond by saying “I can understand your excitement. I am proud of you. Let us look at the website together and discuss a few options prior to making the purchase.” This helps to keep the channels of communication open.