It’s challenging being the father of a daughter. It’s even more challenging when you’re the father of an 18-year old stepdaughter. Faythe’s biological father abandoned her when she was only 6 years old, and it shattered her tender heart into a million pieces. So, when I married her mom, Faythe had very little trust in men. I was considered the “new man on the block” who was stealing her mom’s attention and affection.
However, I knew I wasn’t going to get anywhere with Faythe until I was able to earn her trust and win her heart. I accomplished this by regularly taking her out on daddy-daughter dates.
What To Do On Your Date
I must confess, I had no idea what I was doing until my mentor – a father of five boys and three girls- gave me some advice. This not only transformed my relationship with my now 18-year old stepdaughter, but it ultimately earned me the right to be called her “Daddy.”
Make it safe
Make sure your daughter knows she can share anything with you, and you won’t criticize or be angry with her when she does. This is critical in building trust and learning her heart. Personally, I try to pretend I’m Faythe’s wise friend, not her worried dad.
Learn to ask questions
You can’t win your daughter’s heart if you don’t know what’s going on in her heart. Having been an educator for more than 23 years, I’ve mastered the art of asking children open-ended questions and following up to learn more. Here are just a few questions you can ask your daughter to get the conversation started:
- What’s made you the happiest (been the most fun) at school this past week?
- What’s been the latest drama at school?
- What’s gotten you angry or upset recently?
- What have you been struggling with lately?
- What’s coming up soon that you’re really excited about?
You can’t win your daughter’s heart if you don’t know what’s going on in her heart
Make it mostly about her
Your actions with your daughter will always speak louder than your words. So, resist doing most of the talking by doing most of the listening. The more your daughter talks, the more you’ll learn, so keep the focus and spotlight on her as much as possible. This will also make her feel valuable and loved.
Speak a building block of truth into her life.
During the date, always try to speak something positive into your daughter’s future that affirms, encourages, and reminds her of her value. For instance, “You’re growing into a beautiful young woman, and some man is going to be so lucky to marry you someday.”
Just for good measure, I personally end every daddy-daughter date by holding Faythe’s hand and praying over what we’ve talked about during our date. I try to keep the prayer short and to be just about her.
I truly believe, if you do these four simple things during your daddy-daughter dates, not only will you earn your daughter’s trust and win her heart, you’ll also set a high standard for any man who tries to do the same in the future.
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