Carla Hinton, Religion Editor
Summit links dads, daughters
BY CARLA HINTON
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Published: September 26, 2009
Church youth director Kristi Hayes has seen how father-daughter relationships can either help or hinder young girls.
More Info
Going on
Father-Daughter Summit
→When: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 3.
→Where: The Cathedral, 7700 N Council.
→Cost: $25 per father-daughter pair.
→Information: www.fathers.com/summit.
Listen to an in-
terview about the summit by going to Today’s Paper on NewsOK.com: NEWSOK.COM/
THEOKLAHOMAN
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She will be encouraging dads and their daughters to work on better connections at the
National Center for Fathering’s Father-Daughter Summit on Oct. 3 at The Cathedral.
"In my breakout sessions, I asked the girls what it looks like when they come home from school,” Hayes said. "Are they on their
iPod or texting? When Dad comes home and says, ‘How was school?,’ do they say ‘fine’? When dads come home, are they reading the paper or on their Blackberry? Are they really listening to their daughter?”
These are scenarios the summit hopes to confront, Hayes said.
The
Rev. Mark Henderson said a strong, positive connection between a dad and his daughter is important to churches since they are heavily invested in strengthening families.
Henderson, who has two daughters, is chairman of the committee coordinating the
Oklahoma City summit.
Developing communication skills is one of the goals, he said. Studies show that when a girl has a good communicating relationship with her dad, she’s less likely to engage in risky behavior, develop an eating disorder, engage in sexual activity and get in trouble at school, he said.
"We’re reminding dads of the power of influence they have on their daughters’ lives,” he said.
Henderson said father figures such as stepfathers, uncles and grandfathers are welcome to attend with their loved one.
Cost for a father’s and daughter’s admission to the summit usually is $99, but local coordinators have been raising funds to make it available for $25 per pair.
"What we’re doing is we’re providing the opportunity,” Henderson said.
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