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While we're getting our new SweetMama editor acquainted with the ins and outs of the job, us non-moms are tackling notions of family and parenting from our own unique view. Today, Emma talks dads.
Me and my poppa — still teaching me things after all these years.
We all know there's an innate bond between a mother and her daughter, but how can a dad create his own special relationship with his daughter? Looking back at my childhood, I can pinpoint three things that my dad did to strengthen our understanding of each other and set us up for the close relationship we share today as adults. If I could give any advice to a new dad-of-a-daughter, this would be it.
1. Go on an Adventure without Mom
When I was 11 years old, my dad and I hiked the West Coast Trail, a treacherous 75 km dirt path that winds along the edge of Vancouver Island, with my best friend and her dad. I carried my own pack, dug my own toilet and dressed my own burst blisters. After five days of climbing ladders, wading across rivers and trudging through mud, that feeling of accomplishment — and sharing it with my dad — will stay with me forever.
2. Give Her Tools and Teach Her How to Use Them
I'm a pretty handy person (just ask my boyfriend), and that's thanks to Dad and the free rein he gave me in his workshop. I was welcome to use any tool I wanted as long as I could find it. (You remember his office? Well, image that, but replace the paper with power tools.) If I didn't know how to use it, he'd show me, and then I'd get back to my important table-making/river-fort-building/stump-sanding project.
3. Make Time to Do School Projects
My dad's pretty brilliant when it comes to math and building things, so whenever I had a school project involving numbers we'd sit at the kitchen table and work it through together. Our brainstorming produced a replica of St. Brendan's boat, a giant to-scale paper tortilla-chip bag, and a Celtic house complete with carved beams and a thatched roof. As a kid, spending time with a parent is the one thing you want most, but when that time also produces something that you're really proud of, it becomes valued-added time.
What activities did your dad do with you that brought you closer together? Let's continue the conversation on Twitter, Facebook or comment below. I want to hear your sweet poppa stories!
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