Dads and Daughters : How to Inspire, Understand, and Support Your Daughter When She's Growing Up So Fast

Read an Excerpt

Chapter 1: Building a Father-Daughter Relationship
Perhaps every father should be issued a football mouthguard when his daughter is born, since he's liable to spend the next few decades biting his tongue. When my daughter Nia was thirteen, she announced that she was going to dye her hair orange.

As the primary male role model in a girl's life, fathers influence their daughters in profound ways, from how they see themselves to what they come to expect from men and the world at large. But men often don't realize the importance of their interactions or may shy away from too close involvement because of their inexperience, or conditioning. Especially as girls move into adolescence, fathers may find themselves feeling distant from their daughters or awkward with the changing dynamic. Communication becomes difficult and parenting issues more complicated. But this is also the time when daughters most need their fathers to be an even greater presence in their lives. Dads and Daughters is a tool to bridge that gap and build a rewarding and joyful father-daughter relationship.

From father to father and with insights from many other dads, Joe Kelly shows men how they can strengthen their relationships with their daughters and explores the tremendous rewards this relationship can bring. Starting with a self-assessment quiz titled "How Am I Doing as My Daughter's Father?" dads can immediately see what kind of role they play in their daughter's life. To educate fathers and offer solutions when problems arise, Dads and Daughters then offers thoughtful coverage of the most pivotal issues today's girls face, such as sex and dating, body image, alcohol and drugs, media culture and violence, money and responsibility, and the future. In doing so he both illuminates the culture our daughters live in and shows fathers how to guide their daughters toward rewarding, healthy lives.

Former journalist Joe Kelly is the executive director of Dads and Daughters and father of twin adult daughters. His work has been extensively featured in the media, including NPR, CBS, ABC, People, USA Today, and the New York Times. He was awarded the 1995 Parenting Achievement Award from Parenting magazine and helped his wife, Nancy Gruver, launch New Moon, the award-winning international magazine edited by girls.

	Home \| Forum \| Search
Health Parenting Personal Growth Relationships Religion & Spirituality Career & Money