Connecting with your teen daughter may be as easy as a cartwheel or at least attempting to do one.
READ MORE: Dads surprise cheerleading daughters with their own cheer routine
That’s what some Alberta dads discovered when they surprised their teen and tween daughters with a cheer performance. The 18 dads practised just three times before unveiling the two-minute routine at a Perfect Storm Athletic year-end showcase.
Watch below: Raw video of the dads’ cheer routine (Courtesy: YouTube/caasious)
One of the cheer dads-turned-cheerleader is two-time Olympian Marc Kennedy. He joined us on the Family Matters podcast.
We asked Kennedy what was more nerve wracking: cheerleading or the Vancouver 2010 curling final where he won gold.
His cheer squad teammates wondered the same thing moments before they performed.
“Way more nervous for this than the Olympic gold medal final,” Kennedy said. “That’s what I said to them. I said, ‘Give me that final any day over this.'”
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“They say do something that scares you. That was 18 guys getting out of their comfort zone.”
Applauding the cheer routine is author Linda Nielsen. She spent decades studying father-daughter relationships and is encouraging dads to show more of their silly side. She said fathers have a profound influence on their daughters.
The good news is you don’t have to join a cheer squad to have an impact. Here are Nielsen’s three tips:
Schedule more alone time
Nielsen suggested dads spend more time one-on-one with their daughters. She said both will benefit from an hour or two on their own without mom or any other siblings. She said it can be as simple as a walk or lunch.
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Teen daughters can benefit from hearing about dad’s struggles when he was young
“She’s going to be more willing to share with her father her imperfections, her mistakes, her fears, her anxieties, because she’s not trying to be a daddy’s little girl who has to be perfect for what she assumes, is a perfect father,” Nielsen said.
Make it clear, it is a judge-free zone
Nielsen said when daughters hear advice, they immediately think it is criticism.
She suggested saying: “Hey honey, when I give you advice, I am not trying to criticize you. I’m not trying to judge you. I’m not trying to put you down. I’m just trying to share with you things that I hope will make you happier and spare you some of the unfortunate things that happened to me when I was a teenager.”
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Nielsen is our guest on the Family Matters podcast. She offers some insight into why there is sometimes a disconnect between teen daughters and their fathers.
Family Matters is always looking for new story ideas.
Connect with host Kim Smith:
Email: Kim.Smith@globalnews.ca
Twitter: @Kim_SmithTV
Facebook: facebook.com/kim.smith.765
Connect with producer Christine Meadows:
Email: Christine.Meadows@globalnews.ca
Twitter: @CMeadowsGlobal
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