How to Empower Daughters Who Don’t Have Engaged Dads!

October 28, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Imagine what it would be like if every daughter had a healthy relationship with a great father who validates, protects, guides and provides for her.

Talk about (dad)vantages. We could retire the term "daddy issues" once and for all!

If only…

But unfortunately, many teen girls don't have much of a relationship with their fathers at all. "Daddy issues" often plague them as a result.

I am a fifteen-year-old girl in her sophomore year. Personally, I wanted to say thank you for allowing me to realize the purpose I have. I myself am considered to have 'daddy issues.' I’ve never really had a stable relationship with my father since he walked out and divorced my mom when I was 10. Anyways, with that at hand, I’ve always felt like I needed someone to approve of me. I’ve felt unwanted and just needed someone to tell me I’m better than the stuff I’ve been thinking of doing. Basically, I just wanted to say thank you so much for helping me realize again that my morals and life mean something.

One thing I will never forget is how you spoke about how a lot of teen girls who haven’t had a good father in their life to prove them they are worth so much more, were usually the ones who seek attention and love from their boyfriend. That was always something I expected from my boyfriend. My dad isn’t a bad person overall but he never really sacrificed much to be a part of my life which I resent about him a lot. Therefore, I use to expect so much from my boyfriend. I never thought of myself as you explained I should.

You know what I wish?

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How to Help Physically Present, Emotionally Absent Fathers Engage with Their Daughters

October 23, 2017 by Leave a Comment

I'm so glad you're back for the third post of my Let's Talk Teens with Dr. Tartt series. Thank you so much for sharing the first two posts with your friends on social media, and for the great feedback you've provided.

Clearly the topics we're tackling are resonating with readers. And hopefully, we are adding value to you and your family!

Last week when Dr. Tartt and I discussed the (dad)vantages of an actively engaged father in a teen girl's life, we both knew we'd have to address the moms out there whose daughters haven't been able to reap the benefits.

Typically, when the subject of disengaged fathers comes up, we think of fathers who do NOT live in the home with their daughters.

Of course, this is a legitimate issue of concern. And believe me, it's one I receive countless letters from girls about.

But you know what's also true?

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The (Dad)vantages of an Involved Father in a Teen Girl’s Life

October 13, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Welcome back to the second post in my Let's Talk Teens with Dr. Tartt series. Hopefully, you found last week's discussion about the #1 issue facing teen girls today as insightful as I did.

If you missed it, go here to catch up and discover how to help your daughter avoid it.

Today, Dr. Tartt and I are talking dads and daughters.

If you're a long-time reader of my blog, you may be thinking, "Another post about fathers?”

The short answer is YES!

There's a reason why I dedicated an entire chapter of my book 7 Secrets Guys Will Never Tell You to the subject…

Why I created an online webinar for parents specifically addressing The Daddy-Daughter Dynamic…

And why I couldn't wait to seek Dr. Tartt's professional advice on the topic…

The reason?

Because this topic comes up again and again, in class and in countless letters girls write me…

Because there's no denying the advantages teen girls experience when they have a healthy relationship with their fathers…

And we want to help as many girls as possible experience those same advantages!

Breaking Down the Benefits

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From Boys to Men: How a Slew of Guys Confirmed 7 Secrets was Worth Writing

June 30, 2017 by Leave a Comment

If I had to sum up the whirlwind that was last week, I’d have to say it was “Man-tastic!” ?

Last week I had the privilege of participating in four separate events. Each one presented the opportunity to share 7 Secrets with guys of ALL ages, and boy did they get it!

It all started last Tuesday when I was joined by my friend and former teaching partner, Michael Calloway, in hosting a FREE post-Father’s Day webinar, The Daddy-Daughter Dynamic: How Engaged Fathers Lead to Empowered Daughters.

Let me tell you, if you didn’t sign-up for this free online training, you missed a treat!

Michael and I shared life-affirming information, including material from Chapter 6 of 7 Secrets, with almost 100 caring fathers and mothers of teen girls. In just over an hour, we provided them with 8 actionable tips to empower their daughters to avoid or ditch “daddy issues” and become healthy, confident, and successful young ladies who know their worth in and outside of a relationship.

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What a Difference a Dad Makes: How Engaged Fathers Empower Their Daughters

June 15, 2017 by 1 Comment

Happy father applying chocolate spread on croissant for daughter in domestic room

There’s a lot of attention paid to the negative impact of fatherlessness on daughters, and I am the first to tell you that it is a real issue with many of the girls I teach.

However, in honor of Father’s Day, I’d like to flip that around and focus on the positive impact of fathers who are actively engaged in their daughters’ lives.

Especially when it comes to their decisions regarding love, sex, and relationships.

The following are three ways daughters are empowered in their dating decisions by actively engaged dads.

  1. They lean in to positive parent pressure. In the same way that positive “peer” pressure influences girls like your daughter to make healthy choices (like abstaining), having an engaged father influences them to make healthy choices too.  In this case, her goal isn’t to fit in with peers she likes and wants to impress, but to keep from disappointing her dad, whom she loves and wants to make proud.

If I had sex, not only would I regret doing something I can’t take back, but my dad knowing I didn’t respect myself would hurt him emotionally too.

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How Not to Talk to Your Teens about Love, Sex & Relationships: Korey’s Advice to Parents

November 14, 2015 by Leave a Comment

For the past seven weeks, I’ve had the privilege of sharing my Conversation with Korey series with all of you, and today it draws to a close.

If you’ve been with me from the beginning, you’ll recall that Korey Harris, is but one of an awesome group of ten young adults whom I’ve been blessed to mentor.  Each of them have their own amazing story to tell, and are often the highlight of my youth empowerment workshops. They are one of the many reasons #WhyIDoWhatIDo.

I have witnessed first-hand, how much Korey’s transparency and candor has resonated with the teens who have attended my events. He’s also been a hit with their parents who value his insight into their teen world.  

So today, in my final Conversation with Korey post, we sit down to discuss advice for parents. Check out Korey’s words of wisdom for moms and dads who may struggle with how to engage their teens in meaningful discussion about love, sex and relationships, in a way that won’t go in one ear and out the other.

A Tale of Two Extremes

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#DadsMatter: Korey Explains How Fatherlessness Leaves Boys Searching…

October 29, 2015 by 2 Comments

If you missed last week’s Conversation with Korey post and video on the impact of fatherlessness on girls, I strongly suggest that you read/see it! Korey’s insight was spot on. Not only about how these young ladies are often preyed upon by boys, but also how many of them seek validation outside of home. 

This week, Korey brings that same level of “been-there-done-that” insight to our discussion on the impact of fatherlessness on boys.

As I stated in my disclaimer last week, the purpose of this post is not to assign blame to anyone for the very complex subject of fatherlessness. I think we can agree there is plenty of blame to go around and too much at stake to waste time pointing fingers. Instead, I choose to focus attention on the people who fatherlessness impacts the most –the kids! And clearly, boys are just as affected as girls, although in different ways.

In Search of Self

Korey believes that boys without fathers start out in life from “behind the eight ball.” He’s quick to point out that this isn’t a knock against their mothers, nor does it mean that boys without dads are automatically doomed for failure. But thinking back over his experiences as well as that of his fatherless friends, Korey realized they all shared some similar characteristics.  They were always searching, not knowing what they were destined to do (or become). And they often struggled to finish whatever they started.

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#DadsMatter: Korey Explains How Fatherless Girls Become Easy Prey for Guys

October 20, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Hopefully by now the Conversation with Korey blog series has sparked honest, open-ended discussions between you and your teen. The practical tips Korey shared last week are great for any guy or girl who’s made a commitment to abstain and needs additional inspiration on how to “sex-proof” their day-to-day decisions.

In today’s post, Korey and I delve into the highly sensitive topic of fatherlessness and its impact on girls. Before we begin, now feels like a great time to offer my disclaimer: The purpose of this post is not to assign blame to anyone for the very complex subject of fatherlessness. Our goal is simply to highlight some of the issues that girls without fathers face as a result.

While this is never a fun topic to discuss, it’s one that am forced to address every time I speak to girls. So many of them are suffering the negative effects of not having dads in their lives, which almost always shows up in their relationships with boys. That’s why I wanted to get Korey’s take on it. 

The insight he offers as a young man who has encountered, been in relationships and/or had sex with young ladies without fathers, is worthy of taking notes.

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Korey Tells All: Who Says Teen Guys Aren’t Looking for Value and Acceptance?

October 7, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Last week I introduced you to my mentee Korey Harris, a 26-year-old young man who discovered peace after giving up sex several years ago.

One thing about Korey that stands out, in real life as well as on video, is how authentic he is. He’s a young man with amazing drive and the determination to start his own basketball skill development business.  He trains both collegiate and professional players, even as a student-athlete himself. And Korey doesn’t shy away from the fact that he’s never played basketball on a professional level. He owns it. Much like he owns his decision to abstain from sex.

There’s an ease and comfort level about Korey that comes from knowing and accepting who he is and what he’s about. But he’ll be the first to tell you, he wasn’t always so sure of himself.

Acting Out for Acceptance

In this next clip from my Conversation with Korey series, we discuss how the promise of being the first person in Korey’s family to graduate from college, almost slipped through his fingers.

A misdirected need for acceptance by “friends” who didn’t have his best interests at heart, led to him engaging in behavior that contradicted the positive upbringing his mother worked hard to instill in him.

Thankfully, that’s not where Korey’s story ends!

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Why Single Moms Need to “Think like a Dad!”

December 4, 2014 by Leave a Comment

woman thinking

An 8th grade girl approached me after class recently asking if she could speak with me about something I had spoken about in class—the dangers of dating older guys.

She told me she had a wonderful boyfriend who was older than she was, respected her and did not put any pressure on her to have sex. She added that she didn’t understand the big deal about dating an older guy as long as he wasn’t pressuring her to have sex. I asked her how old her boyfriend was and she answered “19,” immediately adding that she’s “almost 15” as if the “almost” made the age difference any less significant.

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