Have fun—leave your cares behind and just focus on your daughter.
As much as possible keep that smartphone put away. Don’t try to talk to your daughter and text, answer email, or surf the web at the same time.
Really listen to your daughter. Don’t be too quick to give your opinion or “fix” her issues. Seek to understand her more than to be understood.
Don’t be afraid to redo or scrap a date that isn’t working. As you know, with kids there are moods involved and different personalities. If you’ve had an awesome time, though, try that date again and again!
BE YOU! You don’t have to pretend to love shopping at the mall. And she doesn’t have to be thrilled about a football game. If the focus is on your time with each other rather than the “entertainment,” it’s all good.
Don’t be overly task-oriented. The goal is to connect with your daughter, not get through every detail in the book.
You’ll get more comfortable with all the material and dates the more you do them.
Set a goal to learn something new about your daughter every time you go out together.
Before you go out on your dates, pray that God will prepare both your hearts for the conversations you’ll have and the memories you’ll create.
Build anticipation. Let your daughter know ahead of time that you’re excited about spending time with her. Let her know it’s a big deal to you.