Are you struggling to have a relationship with your father? Relationship expert Dr. Linda Nielsen says the key to bettering your relationship with your dad is to focus on the improvements you can make, even if he never changes. Read an excerpt from her book Between Fathers & Daughters: Enriching and Rebuilding Your Adult Relationships.


"Why is my dad always criticizing me or telling me how to run my life?"
"Why does my dad seem so distant when I try to talk to him?"
"Why can't we talk comfortably or honestly about personal things?"
"Is it too late to improve our communication at this point in our lives?"
"Why can't dad talk to me like a grownup instead of like a little girl?"
"Why is it so hard for us to communicate?"

Sound familiar?

Let's face it, most of us think we communicate better than other people do. And even though all of us sometimes behave like the south end of a northbound mule, we waste a lot of energy focusing on the other person's flaws rather than our own. So as you read this, take a different approach: focus only on the improvements that you can make in communicating. Changing the way you communicate is a gift you give yourself because you're going to feel more relaxed and more satisfied with yourself even if the other person doesn't change.

Let's start by using the following quiz to figure out how you and your father typically communicate with each other. Take the quiz now! PDF
From Between Fathers & Daughters: Enriching and Rebuilding Your Adult Relationship by Dr. Linda Nielsen, Ed.D. Reprinted by permission of Cumberland House Publishing.

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