Girls benefit from a loving and consistent father in their life, but unfortunately, after divorce it can be difficult for a dad to maintain a close relationship with his daughter.
The best way to avoid a rift in your relationship is to head off any potential challenges you might experience by deliberately expressing your love during each and every interaction.
Here are some tips for divorced dads:
Use technology to engage in idle conversation- Even if you aren’t around, you can FaceTime, Skype, call or text to maintain a presence in your daughters life.- Ask for her feedback about family plans- Instead of informing your daughter what you are doing, let her be in on the planning process; it will help her stay engaged with you.
- Don’t bad mouth her mother- Remember that you may very well be your daughter’s model for how men should treat women. Also, your daughter is likely pretty close to her mom, so saying negative things about your ex may cause a rift between you and your daughter.
- Be patient and persistent in showing your daughter you want to spend time with her – Don’t let past rejections prevent you from consistently attempting to create a positive father-daughter bond.
Take a look at the Child Centered Divorce Blog for more information on this topic.
For an expert in family law in Vancouver WA, contact Crystal Lambert-Schroeder here.