It is a known fact that the Father/Daughter bond is one that is far reaching. The relationship that a girl has with her father is one that will shape her opinions of men and influence how she interacts with opposite sex.
Kids are always watching. They see the tender moments and they see or hear the ones that may not be so pleasant, depending on the type of parents they have. Children are not aware of what they are doing until they are older but they are taking mental notes. Notes on how to be a man or woman, how to treat the opposite sex and a number of other important characteristics are being ingrained in their minds.
A research group from Rider University examined the role of the quality of the father-daughter bond in the development of positive romantic relationships during young adulthood. The authors studied 78 teens and young adults (average age 19), who reported on the quality of their relationship with their fathers and their current boyfriends. Areas examined were communication, trust, and time spent with their boyfriends/fathers.
The results of the study were as follows:
Girls with good communication with their fathers also had significantly better communication with their boyfriends when compared to girls with low communication with their fathers.
Girls with high levels of trust with their fathers also had significantly better communication and trust with their boyfriends.
Finally, time spent with their fathers was not associated with communication, trust or time spent with their boyfriends.
While these results targeted the father/daughter bond, parents should always be cognizant of the affect their behaviors will have on their children. The expectation is not to lead our children to believe that everything will be coming up roses, but to effectively communicate with them, spend quality time with them, and to display behaviors that will result in them being able to establish and maintain good relationships with others, both personally and professionally.
Source: Nestor Lopez-Duran PhD. To learn more about the results of the study please visit http://www.child-psych.org/2009/05/father-daughter-bonds-and-future-dromantic-relationships.html
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