Hey dads! Welcome to Dad Connections in 5, your quick, practical guide to building a stronger bond with your daughter—one intentional action at a time. I’m [Your Name], and today, we’re tackling something that every dad faces at some point—how to support your daughter’s interests even when they’re completely different from yours.

Now, let’s be honest. As dads, we sometimes hope our daughters will love the same things we do—whether it’s sports, music, cars, or hobbies we grew up with. But sometimes, she takes a totally different path. Maybe she’s into ballet instead of basketball, anime instead of action movies, or science experiments instead of sports.

And that’s okay. Because what really matters isn’t WHAT she loves—it’s that you show up and support her no matter what.

So today, I’m giving you four simple ways to embrace her interests, even when they’re out of your comfort zone—so she always knows Dad is in her corner.

Why Supporting Her Interests is So Important

When you take an interest in what your daughter loves, you’re telling her:

“I see you.” “What matters to you, matters to me.” “You don’t have to be like me for me to love and support you.”

That builds trust, confidence, and lifelong connection.

4 Ways to Support Her Interests (Even When They Aren’t Yours)

1. Get Curious—Ask Questions & Show Genuine Interest

You don’t have to love her interests—you just need to be curious about them.

• If she’s into painting, ask, “What’s your favorite thing to paint?”
• If she loves coding, ask, “What’s the coolest thing you’ve built?”
• If she’s obsessed with a book series, ask, “What do you love most about it?”

The goal isn’t to be an expert—it’s to let her teach YOU.

2. Participate—Even If You Feel Out of Your Element

Sometimes, the best way to connect is to step into her world.

• If she loves musicals, watch one together and let her explain why she loves it.
• If she’s into a new hobby, try it out with her—even if you’re terrible at it.
• If she’s playing a sport you don’t understand, go to her games and cheer like crazy.

You don’t have to be great at it—you just have to show up.

3. Celebrate Her Achievements—Big & Small

No matter what she’s into, be her biggest cheerleader.

• If she finishes a new piece of artwork, hang it up somewhere.
• If she performs in a recital, be front and center.
• If she’s excited about a new skill, tell her how proud you are of her effort.

Your encouragement fuels her confidence.

4. Keep an Open Mind—You Might Find Something You Enjoy

Sometimes, what starts as supporting her passion turns into something you enjoy together.

• You might actually get hooked on the show she loves.
• You might find yourself enjoying her favorite music.
• You might discover a new hobby you never expected.

Being open to new experiences makes your bond even stronger.

Quick Takeaways: Start Today!

Here’s your challenge: Before the day ends, ask your daughter one question about something she loves—and really listen to her answer.

Be curious—ask questions about her interests. Step into her world—try something she enjoys. Celebrate her passions—big and small. Stay open—you might just find a new connection.

Because at the end of the day, it’s not about WHAT she loves—it’s about knowing Dad will always support her, no matter what.

That’s it for today’s Dad Connections in 5! If this was helpful, share it with another dad who wants to strengthen his bond with his daughter. Until next time—keep showing up, keep supporting, and keep celebrating what makes her unique.

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TRANSCRIPT

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:00:02]: Welcome to the dad and daughter connection, the podcast for dads who want to build stronger bonds and raise confident independent daughters.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:00:12]: Hey, dads. Welcome to dad connection in five, your quick practical guide to building a stronger bond with your daughter, one intentional action at a time. I’m doctor Christopher Lewis, and today, we’re tackling something that every dad faces at some point, how to support your daughter’s interest even when they’re completely different than yours? Now let’s be honest. As dads, we sometimes hope that our daughters will love the same things that we do, whether it’s sports, music, cars, or hobbies that we grew up with. But sometimes, she takes a totally different path. Maybe she’s into ballet instead of basketball, anime instead of action movies, or science experience experiments instead of sports. But that’s okay because what really matters isn’t what she loves, it’s that you show up and support her no matter what. So today, I’m giving you four simple ways to embrace her interest even when they’re out of your comfort zone.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:01:04]: So she always know knows that dad is here in her corner. So why is this so important? When you take an active interest in your daughter’s loves, you’re telling her, first, I see you. Second, what matters to you matters to me. And third, you don’t have to be like me for me to love and support you. That’s going to build trust, confidence, and lifelong connection. So here’s four ways that you can support her interests even when they aren’t yours. First, get curious. Ask questions and show genuine interest.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:01:37]: You don’t have to love her interest. You just have to be curious about them. If she’s into painting, ask, what’s your favorite thing to paint? If she loves coding, ask, what’s the coolest thing you’ve built? If she’s obsessed with a book series, ask, what do you love most about it? The goal isn’t to be an expert. It’s about her teaching you. Second thing, participate. Even if you feel left out of your element, sometimes the best way to connect is to step into her world. If she loves musicals, watch one together and let her explain why she loves it. If she’s into a new hobby, try it out with her even if you’re terrible at it.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:02:17]: If she’s playing a sport you don’t understand, go to her games and cheer like crazy. You don’t have to be great at it. You just have to show up. Third, celebrate her achievements. Big and small, no matter what that she’s into, be her biggest cheerleader. If she finishes a new piece of artwork, hang it up somewhere. If she performs in a recital, be front and center. If she’s excited about a new skill, tell her how proud you are of her effort.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:02:44]: Your encouragement fuels her confidence. Fourth, keep an open mind. You might find something that you enjoy sometimes, and what starts as supporting her passion turns into something you enjoy together. You might actually get hooked on the show she loves. You might find yourself enjoying her favorite music. You might discover a new hobby you’ve never expected. Being open to new experiences makes your bond even stronger. So here’s some quick takeaways.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:03:13]: Start today. Here’s your challenge. Before the end of the day, ask your daughter one question about something that she loves and really listen to her answer. Be curious, ask questions about her interests, step into her world and try something that she enjoys, celebrate her passions big and small and stay open. You might just find a new connection. At the end of the day, it’s not about what she loves. It’s about knowing dad will always support her no matter what. Okay.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:03:43]: That’s it for today’s dad connection five. If this was helpful, share it with another dad who wants to strengthen his bond with his daughter. Until next time, keep showing up, keep supporting, and keep celebrating what makes her unique.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:03:59]: That’s a wrap for this episode of the the dad and daughter connection. Thanks for joining us on this journey to build stronger bonds and raise confident independent daughters. Remember, being an engaged dad isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being present. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe and share it with a fellow dad. And don’t forget, you can find all our episodes at dadanddaughterconnection.com. Until next time, keep showing up, keep connecting, and keep being the dad she needs.

Musical Outro Performer [00:04:29]: We’re all in the same boat. And it’s full of tiny screaming passengers. We spend the time. We give the lessons. We make the meals. We buy them presents and bring your A GAME Because those kids are growing fast. The time goes by just like a dynamite blast.

Musical Outro Performer [00:05:04]: Calling astronauts and firemen, carpenters and muscle men, get out and beat the world to them. Be the best dad you can be. Be the best dad you can be.