Dads, what your daughter wants most from you is your time.
Don’t be anxious about spending time with her. Many fathers think they need to entertain their daughters to make the time seem special. This is particularly true of divorced fathers. But your daughter doesn’t need–or even want–special events or outings. She just needs to be with you, next to you doing chores, washing the car, living life. So just live it with her. Ask her to rake leaves with you, go grocery shopping, change the oil. And let her know that you need her help. If she is fifteen and wants to go to the mall on a Saturday afternoon, either go with her or make it an outing or don’t let her go. Instead, make her stay home and help you around the house.
The bottom line is: she needs more time with you than she does with her friends. So be with her.
