5 Things You Can Do To Bond With Your Daughter

A mother and daughter relationship can be described in many ways. It can be complex and stressful, but it is also beautiful. It is easy to get caught up in the chaos of everyday life and “forget” to take the time to invest in your relationship with your daughter. Between ball games, homework, cooking dinner, and work, there is often not a lot of extra time left. We may have great plans to spend more time working on our relationships, but before we know it, another year has passed with no such activities. Make it a priority to start now. Below are five simple things that you can do to bond with your daughter. 

1. Plan a Dinner Date - You’ve got to have dinner. This is one item on your to-do list that cannot be skipped over. So, take advantage of this fact by planning a dinner date for just you and your daughter. This idea can be tailored to fit you and your daughter. You may want to get all dressed up and go to a fancy restaurant. For this, you could style your daughter’s hair, paint her nails, and/or apply her makeup for the outing. Or, you can keep it simple and have your daughter help you cook her favorite meal at home. In this case, you could make the dinner a candlelight one in order to add to the specialness of the evening. 
2. Get Manis and Pedis - Most girls and ladies love getting manicures and pedicures. As a result, this makes for a perfect outing with your daughter! Again, this can be planned to fit your time and budget. If going to a nail spa is out of the question, you and your daughter can take turns painting each other’s nails and toes at home. 
3.  Take a Weekend Getaway - Sometimes, we all need to get away from it all. Take your mini somewhere fun for the weekend. You can go camping or choose a location with a museum, zoo, movie theater, or entertainment center. If you just want to relax, choose a hotel with a pool. Extra activities aren’t needed if you can hang by a pool all day!
4. Time Before Bed - Go to your daughter’s room each night before bed. Depending on the age of your daughter, this time may be spent in different ways. If she is young, the standard “reading of a book before bed” is the norm. But even when she outgrows this ritual, you can still make use of that time. Sit on your daughter’s bed with her. Ask about her day and let her talk about her joys, concerns, and frustrations, and/or read a daily devotion with her. Help to put her mind at ease so that she is able to get a peaceful night of sleep. 
5. Volunteer Together - Aristotle once said, “What is the essence of life? To serve others and do good.” What better way to accomplish this than to do so with your daughter? Serve at a soup kitchen, deliver meals to the needy, grocery shop for the elderly, etc. The world is hurting right now, and there are so many opportunities to “do good.” By making volunteering a family activity, your daughter will learn the importance of helping others. 

Any of the activities listed above is sure to help you to bond with your daughter. But no matter what you choose, invest in that time fully. Be committed to not being on your phone. Make sure that the quantity time is also quality time. Hang in there girl moms...you’ve got this!