As a father to a daughter, you might be keen to make sure that you are doing all you can to bond with her as well as possible. You are probably well aware that being able to bond with her well will give you a much better ongoing relationship, improve your daughter’s onward prospects, and help to bring the whole family unit closer together too. But how can you make sure that you are bonding with your daughter in the best way possible?
In this post, we are going to take a look at some of the best approaches to better father-daughter bonding, focusing not only on what kinds of activities you might want to try out together, but also how to approach it psychologically together too.
Consider Their Age
It’s important to bear in mind that how to bond with your daughter will vary depending on their age, and you can’t simply apply the same approach to all ages. You need to think carefully about how old they are, what it’s like to be that age, and adjust accordingly whatever you try to do regarding bonding with your daughter. If you can remember to do this, it will give you a much better chance of successfully bonding, and will stop you spending time on the wrong kinds of activities.
Check out this guide on how your children will develop at different ages, and be sure to change up your approach as you do so. You’ll find this is really going to make the whole process so much easier.
Set A Good Example
It’s not all about the activities you do together – although, as we will see shortly, those are important. It is also about how your daughter views you as a father. In other words, do they see you as someone to look up to or not? Chances are, they automatically do this, but you should make sure that you are improving the chances by setting a good example in all that you do.
This can be immediately frightening as a prospect for a lot of fathers. You might find yourself thinking that it is impossible to simply have good behaviour all the time, as indeed it is. But as long as you have the modesty and confidence to admit when you are wrong, even those times won’t ultimately matter so much. What will matter is that you are overall acting in ways which your daughter will see as good.
Once you make a point of regularly setting a good example to your kid, it will start to come across in everything that you do, and you’ll be able to see how it affects their behaviour too. You will also get a sense of the two of you growing closer together as a result of this, so that is something to look out for as well.
Overcome Challenges Together
Life is full of challenges and difficulties, and one of your main jobs as a father is to show to your daughter how these can best be managed and overcome in the right way. The best way to do that is to overcome challenges together. Of course, these will crop up naturally in life anyway, so you can just wait for something to happen and then use it as a learning opportunity. Alternatively, you can engage in activities which are going to create these kinds of issues in some way or another. Simple activities can often make this process a lot easier than you might think.
However you do it, these kinds of challenges are likely to be a great chance to teach your daughter something, and get closer to her in the process, so this is definitely something that you are going to want to focus on.
Show her The Real You
Children will generally know when you are not being completely straight with them, and it is very often the case that this will lead to some pretty negative consequences regarding how they view you and the relationship. You should make a point of showing your daughter the real you as much as you possibly can, as in doing so you are going to be in a much better position to bond with them more effectively.
Although it can be challenging to show your daughter the real you, you are proving and teaching them something important in doing so, which is that it’s okay for boys and men to be open about themselves. The world might not always like it, but it is something we are free to do – and we should do so as best as we can.
Listen
Very often, your daughter will have something to say and need more than anything in the world for hers father to simply listen. At those times, you need to be able to recognise that this is what’s going on, and then you need to make a point of really slowing down to listen. The more you listen to them, the more that she will grow up feeling as though she is really cared for and appreciated. She will also have a much stronger sense that it is okay to express herself – and she will become a better listener herself, ensuring that she works harder in all of her own relationships throughout her life.
Spend Time Together
There are plenty of other fun activities to try out when you’re in Paris. How about hiring a pr photographer? That is a great way to capture the beauty of the city and its famous monuments. You can also explore some smaller neighborhoods and capture their unique charm.
If you’re looking for something a little more active, why not try one of the city sightseeing tours? There is plenty to see in Paris, so you will never run out of things to do.
You can also check out some of the more quirky attractions. If you are interested in getting some unique views, some rooftops offer a splendid panorama over cities. Just be careful not to fall off!
You can take your daughter or son on a helicopter ride so that they can see the sights from up high. It is an adventure which they will remember for their entire lives!
All of these activities are worth looking into for that reason if you are keen to get closer to your daughter.
Watch TV
You can watch all sorts of TV together, including sports. Sports are only for boys and men – they are a proven strategy for spending more time with your daughter, and it is definitely the kind of activity that you will probably want to get involved in. Simply watching some sports together is going to ensure that you feel a lot closer, but make sure it’s actually a sport you both like, and learn whatever you might need to know in order to inform your daughter too. You’ll never know when your daughter might ask for you to list the English football leagues in order – and it’s best if you can do so, and answer that call.
Go Fishing
Although this can be a classic father-son thing, there is no reason your daughter won’t enjoy it. Fishing is the kind of thing that you can really use as the perfect bonding session. The thing with fishing is that it will always take a whole day, if not a whole weekend, thus giving you plenty of time and opportunity to really talk with your daughter, or simply spend a lot of time in peaceful mutual silence. It’s amazing what this kind of experience can really do for your relationship with your daughter.
Go Camping
Similarly to fishing, going camping with your daughter is another great way to really get to know one another. There is something about being out in the countryside for a few days and nights, having to keep a fire and forage for food and so on, that really taps into something primal that is important for the two of you. If you are keen to get in touch with that side of yourselves together, camping is a safe and easy way to do so.
Create Something
Getting creative together can be a wonderful way to get closer together too. The act of building something helps any daughter to feel like they are learning an important skill, and it helps the father to feel as though they are passing something valuable on too. Next time you need to construct something, get your daughter to help you. They can simply watch and pass the necessary tools if they are slightly too young, or they can get involved physically if they are a bit older and more capable. Either way, you will find that you both really enjoy the act of building something together, and the pleasure of seeing the finished product.
Cook Together
Cooking can be a wonderful thing too, and it’s one of those essential skills that everyone needs in their life. You can teach them the basics of cooking, or you could simply show them how to make a few choice meals that they are generally going to get a lot of use out of in the future. Either way, spending time in the kitchen together can be done at any time you are home, and it’s likely to help bring you closer together sooner than you might think.
Follow that advice, and you and your daughter should feel a lot closer together in no time.
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