How to understand what your daughter is looking for in friendship with Dad.

If you asked daughters of age 8 and beyond what they dream of about when they grow up, they may be too embarrassed to tell you. They may not be able to put it in words.

Perhaps you wonder how you'll ever make a meaningful conversation with your daughter!

Do girls just want to have fun?
Sometimes we fathers would rather just observe our girls from a distance, and leave them to have fun in their own world. After all, we reason, they're entitled to their own fun.

Perhaps you've noticed that your girl(s) like to dressup and play kings and queens, or princesses. Maybe they have been attracted to wedding photos and played with veils etc.

Perhaps their younger brothers (or the neighbour's younger brother) may have been roped in for the wedding ceremony. I know my second son has been married to his older sister at least once! I know few men who have time (or inclination) for all those wedding preparations!

Play is a natural part of learning. I remember one day I was complaining to another father who had his son in the shopping trolly while his wife was doing the shopping. I was also out doing the family shopping and feeling overwhelmed with all the tasked that I had on my plate. After all, I was running a business, and doing the home related shopping! Administration for the business was also my task at that time.

I looked at his son and stated that my son who was also young, and had young siblings, had it easy! "He didn't have to...he gets to play all day, no worries..." I started off. My friend sighed and said, "Ah but that is how it is supposed to be at that age".

So their world and our world are very different. But do they have to be disconnected?

When they stop settling for younger brothers.

The point of this story is that there comes a time whengirls stop setling for "marrying" their younger brother.As we know they grow older. With that growing older a strong desire to be special to their father wells up within them.

Are you prepared for developing popularity?

Are you prepared for that change? Or, as the case maybe, were you prepared for that? Your daughter's desire to be special to you will suddenly change.

As you know, girls stop desiring to snuggle up to you on the couch to be read a story. But they still desire to feel that close to you, and they think you and I as fathers understand that!

Have you considered that your older daughter may have a completely different idea to you of what friendship with her father looks like?

Why is it that little girls love to run away?

One activity girls often love when they are growing up is to have boys chase them. When I was younger I just thought they were being children. Now I see it has part of bigger natural emotional development.

Has it occured to you that your daughter has a very strong need to be pursued by a man? I mean they have a special emotional need that is unique to them as females, that we men may never understand fully.

Who will pursue your daughter? Fathers, will you make time to pursue your daughter's hearts? How will you make your "Princess" feel special?