As a mom to a daughter, I have often struggled with finding ways to connect with my baby girl. It’s not that I don’t want to build a bond with her or connect with her emotionally. It’s just that I am not good at the whole June-Cleaver-let’s-bake-and-do-crafts-together style of mothering. I am a mom who finds it hard to be motherly. And I know I’m not alone in this. When I confess my lack of “motherly” skills, I’m shocked at the number of women who admit that they share the same dirty secret. These women soon become part of my tribe, you all. Because it’s hard to find mom friends who share your “secret shame,” am I right?
Regardless of my deficiencies as a Betty Crocker mom, I want to share some ways I’ve found to connect with your daughter.
7 Ways to Connect With Your Daughter
Give these tried and true methods I’ve found to build a bond with my sweet and sassy little girl a shot to connect to your daughter.
1. Get Pampered Together
Last year, I took my daughter to the nail salon for the first time. We got a Mommy & Me manicure and pedicure, and I have never seen my girly girl more excited. She hasn’t stopped talking about it to this day and asks me often when we’re going back again.
2. Play a Game or Do a Puzzle Together
My baby girl is SMART and loves showing off how big her brain is to me. When we play a game together, solve riddles, work on a puzzle, or a word find or something similar, I can tell she feels a sense of pride in how smart she shows me she is, and we get to work on problem-solving together, which always creates a bond.
3. Take a Class Together
My daughter loves art, and she loves to dance. I have taken her to a couple of mommy and me dance classes, and she thought it was the coolest thing to see Mama dance! You can also take an art class or take her to a pottery painting studio to connect with your daughter while creating some works of art together!
4. Take Her on a Date
Dates aren’t just for dad. Tell your sweet girl that you two are getting dressed up and going out! Connect with your daughter by taking her to her favorite restaurant and then to a movie of her choice. Make her feel special and loved, and show her what it’s like to be spoiled.
5. Read Books or Color With Her
My girl loves to read. She is only six and reads to her classroom all the time. I love encouraging the bookworm in her, so I will ask her to read a story to me. We also love to color together. I have loved coloring all of my life and, as an adult, find it oddly therapeutic.
6. Keep a Mother/Daughter Journal
As my daughter gets older and more adept at writing, I will start a mother/daughter journal where we can exchange love notes, or she can ask burning and perhaps embarrassing questions she needs answered. Our journal will surely be a treasure she and I can look back on for years to come.
7. Go for a Walk
One of my most cherished memories of bonding with my mom is the walks we would take together. My mom often took a walk with the dog every evening when I was growing up. At first, my sister and I would walk with her, but it ended up being just the two of us. I would talk about all my hurts, fears, angst, and confusion about life as a teenage girl on these walks. She would listen patiently and advise me accordingly. To this day, if I need to work through something, I will call my mom and see if we can’t get together and go for a walk.
Lucky for non-June-Cleaver moms like me, bonding with our daughters is not a lost cause if we weren’t born with the crafts and cookies genes. There are many ways you can connect to your daughter and form a deep bond at every stage of her life if you pay attention to the things she loves to do and then find a way to do them with her. Starting this bonding exercise early will set you both up for a solid foundation of connection and friendship that will, hopefully, last the rest of your lives.
