Purpose: It is a way for a dad to enter into his daughter’s Daddy-Daughter dates Purpose: It is a way for a dad to enter into his daughter’s world1 and see it from her perspective Create Meaningful, Life-changing Conversations1 By sharing in her favorite activities, or activities that have a definable destination and time Build Her Self-esteem through Empowerment She learns through questions and example what should be her expectations in how she is treated

Create Meaningful, Life-changing Conversations Daddy-Daughter dates Create Meaningful, Life-changing Conversations Set the date and time and keep it! Show her she is as important as work, hobbies, or any other activity dad is associated with (she knows what dad does). Don’t let her think her time is negotiable or can be bartered away Once a month or semi-monthly might be all that can be arranged, but keep the schedule! It doesn’t have to cost a lot It can be a picnic at the local park, zoo, or botanical garden2 Try not to be repetitive, show some ingenuity or ask her. If what she wants is out of the budget, let her know that it will take time to save (leave the date open because life has it’s way of taking all available resources)

Create Meaningful, Life-changing Conversations Daddy-Daughter dates Create Meaningful, Life-changing Conversations Take her on an adventure, open her eyes to a new world Museums, exhibits, planetariums, and significant visitor centers (such as a hydroelectric dam or other local place of significance) Go hiking on local trails or go fishing. Any place where conversation is possible Take her to an exotic, cultural lunch or dinner Do some research, know something about the culture and why you thought she would like it. For instance, take her for Indian cuisine because she liked curry when she tried it.

Build Her Self-esteem through Empowerment Daddy-Daughter dates Build Her Self-esteem through Empowerment What is self-esteem? Your daughter’s overall and specific positive and negative evaluation of herself Boys/men generally have higher self-esteem(cite - Brannon) Why is it important? She will progressively become more independent and self-aware. Help your daughter have a balance of activities to strengthen her real or perceived weaknesses If she focuses on only her strengths, other valuable characteristics such as relationship-building can suffer e.g. she doesn’t have a diverse group of friends or few friends

Build Her Self-esteem through Empowerment Daddy-Daughter dates Build Her Self-esteem through Empowerment Understanding herself4 Infancy & Toddlers (from birth to 3) Play with them in the house. For example: Touch her nose and when she responds to the touch, she is beginning to demonstrate knowledge of her physical characteristics4. Preschool Years (ages 3-6) Look for activities indicating she has self-concept. For instance, ask her how she is different from others. Her response might include:

Build Her Self-esteem through Empowerment Daddy-Daughter dates Build Her Self-esteem through Empowerment Understanding herself Middle childhood (ages 6-12)4 Have her describe herself through self-concepts Academically: “I’m good at math and like it, but reading is boring” Socially: “The kids like me, I have a lot of friends” Emotionally: “Mom bosses me around more than Timmy” “I like spending time with you” Physically: (ability) - “I am the best kicker on the soccer team” (appearance) – “I like how I look”

Build Her Self-esteem through Empowerment Daddy-Daughter dates Build Her Self-esteem through Empowerment Understanding herself Adolescence (ages 12-20) Ask if she is seeing someone? Don’t make judgment calls…yet! Has her personal perception of herself changed “I don’t like how I look” – Is she showing signs of an eating disorder? “Dad, I would rather be with my friends” Is she showing signs of stress, alcohol or drug use? Is she beginning to resist parental controls? Is she seeking more personal responsibilities? Does she take responsibility for her actions? Whatever it is she is doing, reinforce positive behaviors, and if she is acting badly, correct her and offer support; take her on a special day.