Endorsements
Dr. Michelle Watson has spent years and years helping men and women overcome some of the hard stories that hinder their joy and sabotage their relationships. Now shes homing in on a primary source of those hard storiesworking to coach dads to enable them to write good stories for their own daughters. Brilliant! Bold! And so very brave!
Phil and Diane Comer, cofounders/teachers of Intentional Parents
Research shows that dads have a profound impact on their daughters lives. Michelle has created the kind of resource that will help build stronger father-daughter bonds by opening communication in a way that fosters deeper trust and understanding.
Shaunti Feldhahn, social researcher, speaker, and bestselling author of The Kindness Challenge , For Women Only , and For Parents Only
My father and I were incredibly close when I was young, I was Daddys girl, but when puberty hit, the whole relationship turned bizarre and painful. I became rebellious, his control issues took front stage, and as a result of the strife, he disowned me. For any daughter or father who wants a deeper and sweeter relationship, this book is a good road map helping you to reach that destination. A great read for dads and daughters regardless of your age!
Delilah Rene, radio host, author of One Heart at a Time
As a father of three girls, this book is a game-changer. So many dads grew up without a dad and need counsel on how to love and cherish their daughters, and show them how they should expect to be loved and treated by a man. With practical and wise advice, Let s Talk can change your life and legacy as a dad. Every dad with a daughter needs to read this book!
John Finch, storyteller and creator of The Father Effect movie
Dr. Michelle Watsons new book, Let s Talk: Conversation Starters for Dads and Daughters , offers sage advice to equip fathers to pursue the hearts of their daughters. Michelle offers insightful scripts to help your daughter open up, trust, and deepen her bond with youher dad, the most important man in her life. Michelles childhood, professional training, and experiences working with dads has uniquely gifted her to help us have life-changing conversations as we guard and guide the hearts of our precious daughters!
Stephen Kendrick, founder of Kendrick Brothers Productions, co-writer of War Room and Facing the Giants , and coauthor of the bestseller The Love Dare
Im a step-up dad to a seventeen-year-old daughter whose father stepped out of her life. Building trust with her was like climbing Mount Everest. I eventually made it to the top, but the climb wouldve been so much easier if Id had Let s Talk as a guide years ago.
Dr. Joe Martin, host of the Real Men Connect podcast
Every father wants to connect with his daughter(s). But we often struggle with what to do and say. Dr. Michelle makes things easy for uslaying out fifty easy-to-follow conversation starters that will get you talking, laughing, and understanding each other better.
David Murrow, director, Church for Men
This is a must-read book for dads. Communication between dads and daughters can be so challenging; this book will help you overcome that challenge. Michelle is one of the top experts in the nation who is helping dads tackle the highest calling men have: to be a dad! Get this book, read this book, read it again, and just when you think you understand it, read it again!
Jason Noble, pastor, motivational speaker, author of Breakthrough to Your Miracle
My daughter is thirteen. Im desperate to know how to ask questions that get us further than fine. Let s Talk is exactly what I need. Dr. Michelle is compassionate but also direct. On every conceivable topiceven hard onesshe handed me a game plan. Theres no fluff here, just practical and immediately usable guidance. Im so grateful.
Marc Alan Schelske, pastor and author of The Wisdom of Your Heart
With Let s Talk , Michelle Watson Canfield gives us the gift of years of clinical research and in-the-trenches experience coaching men to become better dads to their daughters. Her work is fresh, accessible, practical, and proven. Every dad will benefit from this book, and every daughter will benefit from having a tuned-in dad.
Bo Stern-Brady, author of Beautiful Battlefields
In a world where so many of us (fathers) were never taught even the basic skills of loving our daughters well, Dr. Watson offers an insightful, brilliant, and helpful strategy that gives me great hope for my own relationships.
Paul Young, author of The Shack , Cross Roads , Eve , and Lies We Believe About God
Title Page
Copyright Page
2020 by Michelle Watson Canfield, PhD
Published by Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55438
www.bethanyhouse.com
Bethany House Publishers is a division of
Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
Ebook edition created 2020
Ebook corrections 02.16.2022
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meansfor example, electronic, photocopy, recordingwithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-4934-2501-3
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.
Scripture quotations labeled TPT are from The Passion Translation. Copyright 2017 by BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ThePassionTranslation.com
Scripture quotations labeled WEB are from the World English Bible in the Public Domain.
Cover design by Greg Jackson, Thinkpen Design, Inc.
Cover photography by Joshua Ness
Baker Publishing Group publications use paper produced from sustainable forestry practices and post-consumer waste whenever possible.
Contents
Cover
Endorsements
Title Page
Copyright Page
Foreword
Why This Book?
Introduction
PART ONE: Laying the Groundwork: Preparing Yourself to Pursue Your Daughters Heart
1. You Have What It Takes
2. What You Gain by Engaging Your Daughters Heart
3. What Dads and Daughters Say about Using Scripts to Guide Their Conversations
4. Why Listening to Your Daughter Matters
5. How to Invite Your Daughter to Participate in This Process
6. Self-Evaluation with the Dialed-In-Dad Checklist
7. Road Map for Using This Book
8. Lead Her to Laugh
Dad-Daughter Date
#1: Fun, Lighthearted Questions about the Present
#2: Fun, Lighthearted Questions about the Past
#3: Fun, Lighthearted Questions about the Future
#4: Questions about Firsts
#5: Ten Outrageous Things I Wish I Had the Nerve to Do
#6: Looking at Myself through a Different Lens
#7: Defining Myself
#8: Fun Questions about Movies (or Television Shows or Books)
#9: The ABCs about Your Daughter
#10: The ABCs of God
#11: Expressing Yourself, Expressing Your Style
#12: The Best Phone Photo of the Day Game
#13: The 24-Hour No-Phone Challenge
9. Lead Her to Love
Dad-Daughter Date
#14: Questions on Personality Profiles Inventory
#15: Questions on Love Languages
#16: Questions on Self-Esteem