Father-Daughter Relationships

Linda Nielsen is a Professor of Adolescent and Educational Psychology at Wake Forest University (US). A member of the faculty for 35 years, she is a nationally recognized expert on father-daughter relationships.

Chapter One: Fathers, facts and fictions
What’s a woozle?

How are woozles born and raised?

How our memories and cognitive processing deceive us

The most damaging woozles

Maternal instinct

The female brain: hardwired for mothering

Babies’ primary bond with their mothers

The stronger impact of mothers

Mother’s superior parenting style

Female empathy and communication

Childcare: Second shift moms and shiftless dads

Physically abusive and murderous fathers

Chapter Two : Fathers and Fatherhood

Ignoring, dismissing or demeaning fathers

Social science research

Children’s literature and films

Media and advertising

Medical and mental health professionals

Constraints on fathering time: Work

American paternity leave policies
Does income trump good fathering?

What is "good" fathering?

Fathering scales and questionnaires

How fatherhood changes men

Financial stress
Stress on parents’ relationship

Emotional stress: postpartum depression

Quality of the parent-child relationship
Daughters’ impact on their fathers

Chapter Three

The Father’s impact: Cognitive, academic, vocational, social and emotional
Cognitive development

Infancy through preschool

Childhood through early adulthood

Vocational development
Social relationships: Peers and teachers

Sexual behavior, romantic relationships and marriage

Depression and suicide

Identify and individuation

Chapter four

The father’s impact: The daughter’s physical well-being

Premature baby care

Adequate Sleep

Physical reactions to stress
Obesity

Physical activity and sports

Eating disorders

Overview of teenage and young adult substance us

Daughters’ teenage and young adult drinking

Daughters’ smoking and vaping

Daughters’ marijuana use

Daughter’s opioid use

Sexual behavior: Impact on physical health

Teenage pregnancy
Sexually transmitted diseases

Dating aggression and rape

The father’s impact on sexual health risks

Chapter Five – The mother’s impact on father-daughter relationships

Psychoanalytic theories

Attachment theory

Family systems theory

Closeness, communication and conflict with mothers versus fathers

Love versus closeness and communication

Maternal gate-keeping

Quality of the co-parenting relationship
Quality of the parents’ relationship and parenting stress

Chapter Six - Divorced or separated fathers and their daughters

The relationships at greatest risk

Impact of parental separation on daughters

Damaging beliefs: Divorce woozles

Shared versus sole physical custody
Parents’ damaging disclosures

Enmeshment and role reversals
Maternal gatekeeping

Parental alienation

Remarriage and blended families

Chapter Seven : Fathers and daughters in minority families

Socio-economic differences among minorities
Colorism: Impact on daughters and the father’s role
African American families

Hispanic American families

Asian American families

Native American families

Immigrant families

Chapter Eight: Destructive or Challenging Father-Daughter Relationships

Impoverished, single mother families
Incarcerated Fathers
Alcoholic fathers

Drug addicted fathers: The opioid epidemic

Sexually abusive fathers

Fathers in the military

Single fathers raising daughters

Gay or bisexual fathers

Lesbian or bisexual daughters

Daughters of sperm donors

Fathers with chronic or fatal illnesses