DAUGHTERS

The first man in every woman's life is her father. Finding another man whom she can love just as much, is based off of her relationship with her dad.

Question: I have been with my boyfriend for over two years. He often complains about my seventeen-year-old daughter. When we’re together she will sometimes tease him or say something that bothers him, and he will get up and leave, then call me and tell me why he left.  I have spoken with my daughter and she doesn’t feel that she’s done anything wrong. What should I do? ...Cherise

My daughter is in her first year of high school and navigating the world of girl drama, boyfriends and school dances. As painful as it can be to watch her suffer through some of this, I want her to know a few things that I wish I'd known at her age.

As a parent of two teenage girls, I have to say this is not something I am looking forward to so much, so I delayed the whole experience by sending them to a girl’s school, which so far has worked. However I am not sure how long this will last. As a youth and parent coach I regularly support young girls and their parents in getting through their first heartbreak and here is what I have learnt.

A new study shows when dads talk with their children about sex, those children have less sex during adolescence. While it's traditional in many families for the mother to talk to her daughters and for the father to talk to his sons, here are at least four reasons why it is important for fathers to also talk to their daughters about sex.

Recent research has shown that dad's advice could be key to teens' sexual activity.

By Talking Teenage, Jennifer A. Powell-Lunder, Psy.D., for GalTime.com how to stop the fighting Not long ago they seemed thick as thieves. Although there are several years between them, they always managed to find ways to play together.

By Talking Teenage, Jennifer A. Powell-Lunder, Psy.D., for GalTime.com curbing your shopping ways Most parents want to give their teens the world, and then some. There does indeed reach a point where we sometimes take a step back and realize perhaps somewhere along the way we may have let things go a bit awry.

By Child/Adolescent Therapist, Signe Whitson, to GalTime.com   How many times have you heard your daughter singing along to a popular song on the radio and innocently belting out the kind of lyrics that would otherwise get her sent to her room?  In the moment, you believe (desperately want to believe!) that she is unaware of the innuendo and unaffected by its explicit content. 

When our first-born child, Stella was only 2 hours old, I said to my husband, "You better have a darn good relationship with her for her entire life. You may be the only connection we have to her in her teen years." He just looked at me like I was crazy. In his defense, I probably was a little crazy. I had just gone through labor. That said, I clarified my statement to him the next day and still stand by statement today. This is how that conversation went:

According to a study by psychologists Christy Starr and Gail Ferguson at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, which was published in the journal Sex Roles, young girls value the concept of "sexiness." Specifically, 60 girls were each shown two dolls — one of which was dressed in sexy clothing while the other doll was dressed in a loose yet trendy outfit. The girls were then asked to select the doll that they wanted to look like, the doll that they already looked like, the doll that they wanted to play with and the doll that looked like she would be popular in school.

Dear Dr. G., First,let me tell you that I am a real perfectionist. My 17 year old daughter,on the other hand, is anything but. She is relaxed fun-loving,and free-spirited.

Every daughter needs a male role model, even if he is a stand-in father. How daughters relate to males is based on what they observe and experience with their own fathers or father stand-ins. Let's take a look at fathers and celebrate how a father's love protects his daughter. Since father's are doers, let's also celebrate what they do.

(To see the accompanying video, click here.) Often, the same quirks, reactions and behaviors that create problems between you and the female members of your famiy wouldn't be a problem if they was someone else's family. If your best friend's mom or sister did the same thing, you'd probably let it go, gloss over it and focus on what you like about her. The same techniques will work with your own sisters and mom.

Have you ever tried to talk to your father about a recent breakup, only to have him change the subject? Have you ever started crying to your dad and received a totally blank response? In her new book, "Our Fathers, Ourselves," Dr. Peggy Drexler explains that fathers often feel "powerless" when they witness their daughters show strong emotion.

If you’re a Mom with children still at home, I’m sure you have concerns about how your dating might affect your kids’ lives. Issues such as jealousy and challenges with time-sharing are real. But I’d like you to consider the positives. Yes, it’s true that “a happy Mother is a good Mother.” But I also believe that Moms who date have a great opportunity to teach their kids – especially their daughters – essential lessons about taking care of themselves and interacting with boys. ————