Building a strong, meaningful relationship with your daughter is a journey—one filled with ups and downs, learning curves, and rewarding moments. On a recent episode of the “Dad and Daughter Connection” podcast, host Dr. Christopher Lewis sits down with teen mental health specialist and author Sophia Vale Galano to explore this crucial bond, especially during the challenging teenage years.

The episode kicks off with Dr. Christopher Lewis and Sophia Vale Galano reflecting on their own relationships with their fathers. Sophia shares how her dad’s ability to truly listen and validate her feelings stood out as a pivotal part of her upbringing. As she recalls, even during rough patches or adolescent turmoil, her dad’s nurturing, present, and non-judgmental approach cultivated a sense of safety and trust—a lesson that still shapes her adult life and the way she parents her own child.

A major theme explored is the importance of active listening over “fixing” when it comes to supporting anxious teens. Sophia pulls from her book Calming Teenage Anxiety and explains that while it’s natural for dads (and all parents) to want to solve problems, the real magic happens when parents simply listen. Reflecting on both her personal experience and her professional expertise, she emphasizes that daughters don’t always want solutions—they want support, validation, and someone in their corner.

Another core topic in the conversation is the challenge posed by today’s comparison culture and social media. Rather than restricting or policing teens, Sophia urges dads to engage in open conversations, seek to understand their daughter’s experience with digital platforms, and help them build healthy self-worth amidst outside influences.

The podcast also addresses the pressure teens feel to “succeed,” encouraging dads to balance ambition with empathy. It’s all about collaborating with teens, understanding their interests, and making sure encouragement doesn’t accidentally become overwhelming pressure.

The episode closes with practical advice: It’s never too late to repair and grow your relationship with your daughter. Vulnerability, communication, and a willingness to meet your teen where they are can make all the difference.

Whether you’re a seasoned dad or just starting the journey, this episode is filled with wisdom, warmth, and actionable strategies. Tune in for real stories and expert insights that will leave you feeling inspired and better equipped to connect with your daughter.

Listen now to the full episode of the “Dad and Daughter Connection” and start building the relationship your daughter needs today!

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]: If you’re looking to build a stronger bond with your daughter and help her grow into a confident, independent woman, you’re in the right place. I’m Dr. Christopher Lewis, and the Dad and Daughter Connection is the podcast where we dive into real stories, expert advice, and practical tips to help you navigate the incredible journey of fatherhood. In every episode, we’ll bring you conversations that inspire, challenge, and equip you to show up as the dad your daughter needs. So let’s get started, because being a great dad isn’t just about being there, it’s about truly connecting. Welcome back to the Dad and Daughter Connection, where every week we have a great opportunity, a great opportunity to be able to work on building those strong relationships with our own daughters. And I love that because every week I love being able to walk with you on this journey. I can’t say I am an expert.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:01:07]: I try my best. I have two daughters myself, as you know, but all of us can learn and all of us can be better fathers in the end. And that’s why every week I love coming back to be able to, to walk on this journey with you and to be able to have these conversations that we have every week. And that’s why I bring you different people with different experiences that can share those experiences with you to help you to to prepare you and to provide you with some tools for your own toolbox to help you be the dad that you want to be. This week, I am really excited to be able to have Sophia Vale Galano with us. And Sophia is a licensed clinical social worker and teen mental health specialist and the author of a book called Calming Teenage Anxiety. And for any of you that have teens, you know that anxiety comes with it. So it is important to know how to manage that, but also to kind of ride the wave as you’re going through those teenage years and to be able to support your daughters in many different ways, because Sophia’s work focuses on helping parents like you and I better understand what anxiety really looks like in today’s teenagers, and more importantly, how to show up in ways that truly help.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:02:15]: One of the things I really liked in reading through the book myself, I loved the fact that I saw a lot of real-life stories, practical tools, and powerful reflection exercises that you can go through to help you to be more attuned to what your kids are going through. Because Sophia is, is guiding you as the reader to build a calmer, more connected relationship with your teen, not by fixing them, but by walking alongside them with empathy, awareness, and confidence. Her message is one that for me, and I think from you too, you’re gonna find that it’s a message you need to hear. And it’s that your presence, your listening, and your emotional modeling matter more than you think. So I’m really excited to have Sophia here today to be able to talk to her and to have her as a guest on the show. Sophia, thanks so much for being here.

Sophia Vale Galano [00:03:07]: Thank you so much for having me. I’m excited to be here and I appreciate the lovely introduction.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:03:12]: I really appreciate you being here. And I always start these interviews with an opportunity to delve a little bit deeper into your own relationship with your dad. So I guess to start off, tell me a little bit about your dad. And what’s one thing that your dad did that made you feel truly seen, heard, and valued as a daughter?

Endia Crabtree [00:03:30]: I so appreciate that question. I’m really excited to chat about this because full transparency, I really do feel very fortunate because I’ve had a really positive relationship with my dad. Of course, there have been bumps. Nothing’s perfect, but overall my dad and I have always been very close. I grew up in a bit of an unconventional family structure where my mom went and worked in an office. She ran a major film company. She traveled a lot, and my dad was at home with me from ages 5 and up. So really, I feel fortunate in the sense that, you know, A, I got to spend a lot of time with my dad, which I feel that a lot of people don’t have.

Endia Crabtree [00:04:08]: And also, I felt very heard and seen by my dad. I feel that my dad did an amazing job at really listening to me and validating me throughout the years. I have such distinct memories of being a teenager and coming back from high school, grabbing a snack, and, you know, going into the room and chatting with him about my day, talking to him about what happened with friend drama, boy drama, things that most people don’t speak with their dad about when they’re age 16, you know, particularly a, you know, 15, 16-year-old girl. And I feel my dad, I remember kind of around age 12 or so when I was in 7th grade. And, you know, my dad talks to me about this now, you know, since, you know, I’m an adult now, my dad’s an adult. And he always jokes that he had this kind of, you know, revelation when I was age 12 that, oh, my daughter, even though she’s 12, is starting to have more needs as an adult, as a, a woman versus a girl. She doesn’t want to be fixed. She doesn’t want to be told what to do.

Endia Crabtree [00:05:08]: She wants to be listened to. She wants to be validated. And I think it’s really eye-opening for him because I was so young, but it really— he noticed a shift, and honestly, I noticed a shift. And that’s something that honestly still, still happens. I still call my dad when I’ve had a rough day, and I’m just like, ugh, I just need to vent, or I just, I just need to talk this out. And he’ll hear me out, you know, and he’ll listen to me, and then he will say, what can I do to support, or what can I do to help? He’ll ask me those questions. But my dad, again, I’m so fortunate because my dad really, really does a fantastic job of listening to me.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:05:43]: So let’s delve a little bit into that because what do you think it was? And maybe you’ve had these conversations with your dad about this, but what allowed for your father to be able to— I’m going to say flip the script because a lot of times a lot of dads don’t have that innate ability to as you said, listen, to connect, and to be able to build those strong relationships. And it seems like your dad was able to do that from an— from early on. So what was it about your dad or what allowed for him to bring that to the relationship from early on?

Endia Crabtree [00:06:14]: Yes. Well, I do think that my dad was very present with me. I mean, obviously, you know, when he was there with me, we were talking, of course, he’s present, engaged in the conversation. But, you know, I had so much interaction with my dad on the day-to-day. So I think that really helped because he really got a sense of, you know, how I operate. And he knew me really, really well. Um, but it really— we talk about this, my dad and I kind of laugh about it now— that when I was 12, I moved to America from England. I know it’s hard to believe with my accent, but I had a really tough time as a 12-year-old adjusting to, you know, life in Los Angeles in 7th grade.

Endia Crabtree [00:06:48]: You know, it was really, really tough. And I remember being really unhappy, and I remember being kind of the first time where, when we first moved back, my dad and I were kind of butting heads a little bit. Nothing over the top, but I remember us just not seeing eye to eye. And I’m not sure, you know, kind of what led him to this realization, if there was some sort of moment where he did kind of meet me where I was at in terms of listening and validating me and hearing me, and then it was kind of a wake-up call for him to say, wait, this actually works more than kind of telling her what to do. But something clicked, and that’s what he always kind of jokes about, that he was like, I had this realization at 12 years old that I have to start treating you like a young woman. And not to stereotype, but most women like feeling validated and they like feeling heard and they like feeling listened to versus given these kind of solutions or kind of minimizing what they’re going through. Again, not to stereotype, this is a, a very broad overview, but I think it was a bit of a shift for him. And I work with parents all the time about learning to treat their teenagers a little bit more like a young adult versus a kid, you know, and it’s tough, that transition, I think, for my dad because I wasn’t even a teenager.

Endia Crabtree [00:07:58]: Yeah, I was 12. But the thing that’s really cool about my dad, and I really appreciate this, is my dad, I know, always wants to improve, and he wants to grow, and he wants to evolve, you know, as a person and also with his parenting. And that’s why I’m so grateful for your show and for your listeners. I appreciate the dads out there that are really trying to improve the relationship with their children, particularly their daughters, and I see that too now as an adult, how much my dad was really trying to do that. And it doesn’t go unrecognized, you know, maybe as a 12-year-old, I wasn’t sitting down and saying, “Dad, I’m so appreciative of your emotional development and willingness to meet me where I’m at.” I see it now as a 36-year-old, but I have a lot of credit for my dad. And I really do think that helped me see him as a very safe person that I could go to in high school. And my dad also wasn’t judgy as well. I think a lot of dads, a lot of parents are very protective over their children.

Endia Crabtree [00:08:56]: And that can come across as sometimes too teenager, a bit of judgment, or, you know, they’re trying to control me. Whereas my dad was very much, you know, inquisitive and curious of— I want to hear more, tell me about that, you know, let’s talk about it— versus, well, just don’t hang out with that person, or that person’s bad news, forget it. It was more, tell me about it, what did that feel like?

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:09:18]: How would you say that your relationship with your your dad influences the way in which you navigate life, relationships, or challenges today?

Endia Crabtree [00:09:28]: So much, and in a positive sense. I mean, I think there’s a variety of different factors here. I mean, first of all, seeing that my dad isn’t perfect, neither am I, and that we still love and care about each other and we can navigate that when there is turmoil or conflict, which is destined to happen with anyone, you know. And also again, just seeing that, eh, as a daughter that I can have really positive relationships with men, you know, I, I think that’s something that I have felt for most of my life, which I think also is quite unique as a female, is feeling very comfortable with men. Even when I was younger, you know, when I was doing therapy, I didn’t have an issue seeing male therapists. So I feel— I have a lot of male friends, I have a really great relationship with my husband. I feel that there’s safety and comfort with men, and I do think that my dad laid the foundation for that. And my dad has a very nurturing energy to him.

Endia Crabtree [00:10:21]: My dad is a strong man. He’s strong, but he’s nurturing too. And I can feel that as well. I have a daughter and my hope is that my daughter will have a similar relationship with her dad too. I feel again, very fortunate with that.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:10:37]: Now, I guess one thing that I think about— you, you’ve mentioned a lot of really positive things that have happened throughout your life that your dad has really helped you to maneuver through and to be able to become who you are today. And you said, Nobody’s perfect. Your dad’s not perfect. You’re not perfect. None of us are. What are— what are some things that you wish your dad had done differently when it came to building your relationship?

Endia Crabtree [00:10:58]: I feel— and this is where it’s tricky, you know, and I talk a lot about this in my book, which is kind of finding this balance of relating while still adhering to boundaries— is, I guess, understanding that my dad is still a human being. When I think when I was younger too, my parents got divorced when I was, um, 19. So, you know, I still kind of the later later end of being a teenager. And that was quite a challenging time for my relationship with my dad because there was this major shift in our family structure. And I think at that time, what I feel would have been helpful for me, you know, and I’ve shared this with my dad, but, you know, is really understanding. And maybe it would help to have him have verbalized this. We’ve talked about it, of, you know, seeing him as a human being who’s still working on himself and maybe being more vulnerable with me. Maybe that’s what it is, is allowing himself to be vulnerable.

Endia Crabtree [00:11:53]: While still, again, of course, having boundaries. And again, I think it’s tricky here because we want to be mindful of, you know, parental roles. We don’t want it to shift that, you know, the teenager, you know, even an older teenager, the 19-year-old who’s technically an adult but still a teenager, becomes the parent, but starting to see the parent as a human being who’s still going through their own journey and their own process. And I think that was very jarring for me as a 19-year-old, a bit of a wake-up call for me to see, oh wait, my parents are not not slap this label, you know, it’s an extreme label, but like still quote unquote flawed in many ways, aren’t we all? And I think, you know, having conversations with my dad about his challenges and having more vulnerability there, I think would have been helpful in a nurturing and compassionate manner. But again, it’s, it’s not, you know, easy. And I credit so many parents for tackling these issues because it’s not black and white. It’s tricky. And I think just, again, I give everyone so much, so much credit for wanting to try.

Endia Crabtree [00:12:55]: And I think that’s all that Matters.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:12:57]: Now, I— you mentioned your book and you are the author of Calming Teenage Anxiety. And as an author myself, I know that there’s a lot of time, passion, blood, sweat, and tears that go into being able to put something out into the world. So tell me that origin story of the book and what made you decide that you wanted to put all of that time, blood, sweat, and tears into putting this out into the world?

Endia Crabtree [00:13:19]: Yes. Well, first of all, well said, that is incredibly accurate. The blood, sweat, and tears, you know, blessing the curse in many ways. But there were a variety of different factors, you know, that kind of went behind the motivation of writing this book. So the first was, A, feeling very inspired. There was such a need for guidance in this area. So, you know, I talk about this in the introduction of my book is, you know, when I was kind of early on in my career, what I would do is I would go and provide educational talks at different schools or lectures, and I would pick a different topic kind of depending on the needs of the school and the students. So I remember doing one on teen substance use, on vaping, on depression, you know, a variety of different topics, but I really remember giving a talk on teen anxiety and just being so blown away by the amount of guidance that was wanted.

Endia Crabtree [00:14:07]: And this— I remember the room just being completely packed. I remember parents standing alongside the walls because all the chairs were filled and really wanting very concrete tools. So I think there’s a lot of conversations out there right now of, okay, teen anxiety is on the rise. It’s a problem, but what do we do with that? So really, I left that talk and I said, okay, what if there was a book that doesn’t just talk about the problem, but actually talks about what to say and what not to say and what questions to ask and what questions not to ask and how to prevent restriction while still adhering to boundaries or what communication tools are success or what are some kind of typical scenarios. You might see, how do you differentiate between what’s normal versus concerning? So kind of should provide a general sort of overview or blueprint here, which kind of leads to the next factor that kind of led me to writing the book is I said to myself, let’s see what comes out. Let’s like give it a go, let’s start writing. And I know it might sound a bit cheesy, but it kind of just poured out very naturally. And I really felt like there was such a need.

Endia Crabtree [00:15:11]: And my hope was that even if this helps one person, it’s successful. When not everyone has the resources the time to go to therapy or study this for years and years, or, you know, become a psychologist themselves. My hope was for any adult to pick this up, whether they dropped out of high school, whether they have a PhD, and they can start using it immediately. So to be very accessible and very approachable.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:15:38]: You know, a lot of dads see anxiety in their daughters but aren’t sure what they’re looking at. From your experience, how does teen anxiety often show up differently than parents expect?

Endia Crabtree [00:15:49]: So first of all, I always like to remind adults, and it might sound like a bit of a no-brainer but important to remember, that teenagers are not expert communicators, first of all. So they’re going to communicate in a way that’s very, very different than adults might communicate. So, you know, we kind of joke about this, and I was kind of joking before, that a teen is not going to sit down with their parent and say, Mom, Dad, I’m really struggling emotionally. I’d benefit from some coping skills and emotional regulation technique. Let’s come up with some solutions together to support my mental health. Probably not. I haven’t met a teen that does that. Maybe they’re out there.

Endia Crabtree [00:16:20]: What it’s gonna look like instead is, say, a teen isolating, a teen being avoidant, a teen maybe even seeming irritable, hostile, even at times combative. It might not seem how anxiety would look for an adult. So it’s important to remember that. And I remind parents too that it’s important to assess how often a teen is struggling, and to what extent. So I give this example where let’s say a teenager is nervous before a math test. So let’s say they’re kind of spiraling, they’re feeling really panicky about the test, they don’t want to go to school, they’re feeling really kind of moody about it, but they manage to go to school, they take the test, they go on with their day, they attend their extracurriculars, they complete their assignments. Okay, we’re not gonna overlook that, but we’re gonna take a different approach than the teenager that refuses to go to school. The teenager that is so preoccupied with the anxiety for this test that they can’t complete their other assignments, that they need to drop out of their extracurricular activities, that they’re becoming avoidant socially.

Endia Crabtree [00:17:26]: We’re going to take a very different approach, you know. Or what if the teenager has a panic attack before the exam or throws up before the exam? That’s an indicator that this is more severe than sort of your standard teenage behavior. And with this said, we want to assess how often this is happening. So let’s say that a teenager has that kind of quote-unquote extreme response and it happens once a year, are we gonna overlook it? Absolutely not. But again, we’re gonna take a different approach if this happens once a week, multiple times a month, multiple times a week. Very, very different stance here, but it does require very mindful observation of the teen.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:18:02]: You know, one of the things that you talked about earlier about your own father was he was a good active listener, and in your book you talk about the importance of active listening as well. The challenge, of course, is that a lot of Dads feel like they are natural fixers. So for dads who are those natural fixers, what does listening to an anxious daughter look like in real life and what should they avoid doing?

Endia Crabtree [00:18:27]: So I also want to preface that it so goes against our instincts as parents to not fix. You know, we see our child suffering and we want to alleviate the problem. We don’t want to just sit there and wait for the slow, gradual change. So that is really understandable for the parents listening. If they’re thinking to themselves, shoot, I do that all the time. If I completely messed up, No, you know, and a lot of my work with the teens is also helping the teen understand that the parent is coming from a good place and to have some empathy for the parent as well. What I will encourage the dads listening who are, are very prone to fixing is to actually remind themselves that active listening, validating, seeking to learn, understand, employ this kind of curious mindset is actually fixing in the long run. It’s just a more subtle way of doing it.

Endia Crabtree [00:19:17]: It. So what I would recommend avoiding— and I will say there are of course going to be emergency exceptions to this, this is a general overview— if a teen is suicidal, there’s severe self-harm, substance use, we’re going to take a different approach. We’re going to intervene, we’re going to fix. If a teen expresses that they’re feeling anxious or overwhelmed, or the dad is noticing this behavior, instead of saying, well, why don’t you go meditate, or have you gone take— go, go for a walk outside, While those are great solutions that do work, the teen feels not heard. And often what happens is the teen says, “Oh, you don’t understand me, you don’t get it.” And the dad or even the mom too, you know, it’s like, well, what just happened? Now my teen’s even, you know, kind of farther away and I actually was coming from a really positive place. Instead, what the parent can say is, “I would love to hear a little bit more about that. What is that like for you? How do you feel about sharing about this?” So really leaning on these open-ended questions, avoiding, first of all, closed kind of yes or no question, of course, unless an emergency, and really seeking to learn more, speaking with the teen versus just providing some type of solution for the teen. And, and with that being said, you know, and obviously this is quite complex, I go into significant detail about this in the book, but it can be helpful to, to have these conversations in a setting that might feel different for an adult.

Endia Crabtree [00:20:40]: It might feel maybe a little informal, a little too casual, but it’s really important for the teen to feel that this is coming up organically. So when you’re driving, in the car, walking the dog together— oftentimes the teen is very closed off when the parent is sitting across from the table at the dining room table saying, okay, let’s talk about your anxiety. They’re going to feel very put on the spot and very caught off guard. So it’s about kind of modifying how we have the conversations, where we have the conversation, and remembering that actually active listening validating, learning more is ultimately fixing and helping.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:21:16]: You know, one of the other things that you talk about in the book is you describe how today’s teens are growing up in a comparison culture shaped by social media. Any of us that have kids that are above the age of 10 know the power of social media and know how much it can impact our kids as well. How can dads help their daughters build self-worth when the world keeps telling them

Endia Crabtree [00:21:39]: that they’re not These are such amazing questions, and I’m so grateful that you’re asking me this, because oftentimes what happens is people instead take kind of a more restrictive approach of like, okay, you know, I’m protective over my child, I’m not going to let them use social media, and it kind of backfires again, unless an emergency. So instead, it’s actually about having these conversations with the teen of seeking to understand what they feel like when they use social media, what comes up for them when they look at certain pages, you know, have they noticed any kind of parallels emotionally, do they feel more anxious when they’re on social media, A lot of teens, you know, and, and it’s a bit of a controversial take, you know, and I’m not advocating for social media, but some teens will say, you know, actually it’s really helpful for me to follow these certain pages that actually support mental health or support my hobbies, or it’s helpful for me to go on here. I’m not saying that’s the solution, but it’s important to talk with the teen about their feelings with social media. And of course, you know, we wanna set boundaries with social media. You know, again, go into detail about what that can look like, whether it’s, you know, unfollowing certain pages, muting certain people, integrating more positive pages into a teen’s social media presence. But it’s really about talking with the teen here, seeking to learn. And oftentimes parents even coming from this stance of, I didn’t grow up in this world. What is it like for you? You know, I’d love to learn more.

Endia Crabtree [00:23:04]: I’d love to hear your thoughts about it. And this goes back to the, again, unless an emergency, as challenging it is not to to restrict or prohibit a teen’s access to social media because that really does not help build self-esteem. If anything, that’s teaching the teen that you don’t trust them to use social media in a good way or that you can trust your teen to kind of learn from their mistakes, uh, foster resilience. Instead, it’s actually teaching the teen that they’re still like a kid and, you know, they need kind of policing or monitoring here. So it’s a bit of, again, relearning in terms of parenting a teenager, you know, that, okay, I wanna give them the skills so that they feel comfortable using this as they emerge into adulthood, that when they turn 18, they’re out of the house, they’re in the workforce, they’re at school, at college, that they are equipped to deal with the pressures of social media and they’re not completely caught off guard.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:24:00]: Many fathers push their daughters to succeed because they want opportunities for them, but you warn in your book that that can overload and increase anxiety. So how can dads How do you help dads tell the difference between healthy encouragement and harmful pressure?

Endia Crabtree [00:24:17]: And again, it’s not black and white. So it’s also okay if, you know, let’s say parents listening again are saying to themselves, oh no, maybe I pushed too hard. Is that a lost cause? No, not at all. This is where it goes back to that collaborating and communicating with the team and finding that balance. You know, I think you hit the nail on the head too, is oftentimes, you know, parents really believe that they’re equipping their teen for success. And also, you know, a lot of times parents will— and again, it comes from a really good place— is they say, let me get my teen involved in X, Y, and Z because that’s going to help them, you know, not be stuck on their phone and isolate in their room, and that’s kind of the key to help them not be anxious when in reality it overwhelms them or overloads them. So we want to find the balance. We want to make sure they have their leisure time, their time to relax, their time to unwind, while also doing things that, you know, they enjoy as well.

Endia Crabtree [00:25:09]: And talk with your teen A, how they feel about these activities, and also if it’s something that they want to do. Are they interested? Are they passionate about it? I mean, most teens are going to feel more excited about hanging out with their friends, you know, versus, you know, getting an internship somewhere. But it’s still important to make sure it’s something that they want to do. It’s not something that they feel completely forced into or that they’re going to be— I don’t even wanna say punished, but more— but judged or disappoint their parents if they don’t do it. Again, it’s collaborating with the teen, it’s communicating communicating with the teen. Those, those words are going to come up again and again because they could be applied to all areas here.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:25:48]: One final thing that I want to ask you about the book is if a dad is listening today and he feels like he’s already missed signs of anxiety, what would you want him to know about repairing connection and becoming a safe person now?

Endia Crabtree [00:26:03]: First of all, it’s not too late. I do want to say that, that it’s never ever a lost cause and it’s never too late. So even if dad, let’s say, says, I have done absolutely everything wrong. I haven’t listened. I haven’t asked the open-ended questions. I fix it all. It’s okay. And this actually kind of circles back to your earlier question about my dad, which is, A, it’s okay to share with your teen that you’re a human being and you’re still learning, that, hey, I recognize maybe some of my own limitations here and I want to better help you.

Endia Crabtree [00:26:34]: How can I be there for you? How can I support you? Again, we want to adhere to appropriate boundaries. You know, I wouldn’t suggest going to the teenager and sobbing and screaming that you’ve done anything wrong and have the team parent or comfort you, but more being vulnerable that I have— I acknowledge that maybe I haven’t got this the most effective way, and I want to make a change here. And what would feel best for you? How can we work together? I want you to know that I’m here for you. I love you. I support you. And if you feel that you want me to listen more, if you want me to support you in that way, I’m here for you. If you want me to provide solutions, I’ve got you. It’s really meeting the team where they’re at.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:27:16]: So we always finish our interviews with what I like to call the Dad Connection Six. And these are six more questions that I usually ask dads, but I’ve got you here. So I’m gonna ask you a little bit of a tweak.

Endia Crabtree [00:27:26]: That’s cool. Mix it up.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:27:28]: So what’s one word that describes your relationship with your dad?

Endia Crabtree [00:27:33]: Loving.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:27:33]: What’s the best piece of dad advice you’ve ever received?

Endia Crabtree [00:27:37]: I guess I would say— and I’m not quoting this directly, but my dad has always encouraged me to try new things. And know that it’s okay if it doesn’t work out. That my dad is very much, “Go for it. Try it out. Like, why not?” So I think that has been really helpful in terms of kind of fostering my independence.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:27:58]: What’s one activity you and your dad love doing together?

Endia Crabtree [00:28:01]: Well, so that’s changed over the years for sure. I mean, now we love gardening together. It’s funny, I feel when I was younger as a teenager, we would talk a lot about music and bands together, so we would do that. I mean, I’m giving a lot of different activities. Let’s say stick to adulthood. We like to garden and we like to hike. So spend time in nature and talk about art and music.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:28:23]: Now, you— as a mother yourself and as a mother to a daughter, if you could give your daughter one life lesson in a single sentence, what would it be?

Endia Crabtree [00:28:29]: I would say that it’s okay to make mistake.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:28:32]: And what’s one thing that you’ve learned about yourself since becoming a mother?

Endia Crabtree [00:28:37]: You cannot control what goes on.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:28:39]: And finally, what advice would you give to other dads who want to build a lasting and meaningful relationship with their daughters.

Endia Crabtree [00:28:47]: Even if your daughter doesn’t express it, your daughter is going to appreciate the role that you play in their life.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:28:52]: Well, Sophia, I just want to say thank you. Thank you for being here. If people want to find out more about you and the book, where should they go?

Endia Crabtree [00:28:58]: Yes, thank you so much for having me. So you can visit my website, www.sophiagallano.com. Um, you can follow me on Instagram, Sophia Vale underscore Gallano. My book is available Penguin Random House, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, independent bookstores. You can also reach out to me directly if, you know, you’re having a hard time finding it or you want a signed copy. I can do that too.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:29:20]: Well, again, Sophia, thank you so much, not only for being here today, for sharing your own story with your own father, but also for putting this book out into the world. It is a challenging time at this point for our kids as they maneuver through those teenage years. And for all of us as parents, we always are going to have that anxiety that’ll rear its head within our kids, and we have to know ways to be able to do that, and this book does just that. So I truly appreciate you sharing not only thoughts for us to consider today, but also for putting this book out into the world as a tool, as a resource for us to be able to be those parents that we want to become.

Endia Crabtree [00:29:55]: Thank you so much for having me, and thank you for everyone listening. I appreciate the dads out there that are seeking to become even better parents and support their teens. So thank you.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:30:05]: That’s a wrap for this episode of 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.

Sophia Vale Galano [00:30:36]: 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. Bring your A-game, ’cause those kids are growing fast. The time Time goes by just like a dynamite blast. Calling astronauts and firemen, carpenters and muscle men, get out and be the world to them. Be the best dad you can be. Be the best dad you can be.