Daughters & Dads
How Texting and Time Together Help Us Grow Closer
By Chelsea Krost
When I was little, my father introduced me to the more “'manly” activities like mowing the lawn, camping, and learning how to take care of the barn and horses. The times I spent with my father at an early age are some of my favorite memories.
The father/daughter relationship could be the most special and important bond in a girl's life. Fathers are a girl's first male role model, so dads should “be the man their daughter wants to marry,” pediatrician Meg Meeker MD, author of Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters said recently on Today. But most dads aren't always great at communicating their feelings. So its often up to us as daughters to reach out to our dads.
How can we do that? In addition to talking on the phone and face-to-face communication, texting and emailing your dad can help you keep in touch when you are apart. Take advantage of cyber communication to strengthen the relationship with your father. It is harder for most males to vocalize their emotions, so it may be more comfortable for a father to email or text you instead.
Make an effort to show your father you care by even sending him a good morning or a goodnight text. Whether he says it or not, it will mean the world to him. There is a good chance that regular cyber communication can strengthen a father and daughter's face-to-face communication over time.
It's so important for dads to stay involved with their daughters as they go through the teen years and grow into young women. Both parents should be able to talk openly and without embarrassment with their daughters about topics such as sex and puberty.
Young girls hit puberty at an average of 12 years old today, which is the time when they can get embarrassed around their father. Fathers should never make menstruation an uncomfortable topic around their daughters. My father never made me embarrassed for sharing when I had my period.
Both parents should also participate in having the safe sex talk. By sharing safety precautions concerning sex in a comfortable setting, mom and dad can create a more relaxed environment for the daughter to share her personal life.
While it is natural for a young girl to gravitate towards her mother and a young boy to gravitate towards his father, in today’s world gender and sexuality are not as rigid as they once were. It is important for parents to form a true bond with their child for the stability of their relationship with their children as they grow older.
About Chelsea Krost:
Chelsea is a writer, producer, and TV and radio host who inspires philanthropy among her peers. She started her Teen Talk Live radio program when she was 16, becoming America's youngest a.m. radio host. Her program, now called The Chelsea Krost Show, is a forum for millennials to "come together, learn, and get motivated to be a success, do great things for their future, and give back to those who are less fortunate." Chelsea recently released her tell-all book, NINETEEN – A Reflection Of My Teenage Experience In An Extraordinary Life: What I Have Learned and What I Have To Share. She has appeared on Anderson, the Today Show and many other top media. For more information, visit www.ChelseaKrost.com.