If you're a dad looking to strengthen the bond with your daughter, the latest episode of the "Dad and Daughter Connection" podcast is a must-listen. Hosted by Dr. Christopher Lewis and featuring special guest Shon Hart, executive director of Involved Dad, this episode is a heartfelt exploration of the joys, challenges, and transformative power of intentional fatherhood.

Real Talk About Fatherhood

The conversation starts with honesty and vulnerability—Shon Hart recalls a moment where his well-intentioned advice to his daughter didn't land as he hoped. Owning his mistake, he shares the deep lesson he learned about parenting from a place of self-awareness, not old wounds. It's a reminder that as fathers, our pasts influence our advice, but our daughters need us to step up as our healthiest, most present selves.

Building Open Communication

Throughout the episode, Shon emphasizes the value of open, empathetic communication. He advocates for creating a home environment where daughters feel safe talking about anything—even the hard stuff. Shon's approach is simple but powerful: listen more, ask thoughtful questions, and let your daughters know you trust their judgment. By sharing his own stories—including mistakes—he models courage and honesty, encouraging other dads to meet their children with humility and understanding.

Supporting Dreams and Independence

One uplifting segment tackles the importance of letting your child pursue their own dreams, not yours. Shon, a former athlete, shares how he encourages his daughter in her passions—even if they don't mirror his own. His support, whether it's for her love of soccer or her entrepreneurial ambitions, demonstrates that empowering our children means respecting their individuality and aspirations.

The Power of Being Present

Perhaps the most resounding message is that fatherhood isn't about perfection—it's about presence. Whether it's through shared traditions, like greeting rituals when traveling, or making space for honest conversations, Shon and Dr. Lewis highlight the everyday moments that deepen connection. When dads show up authentically and consistently, they help their daughters grow into confident, independent women.

This episode is packed with practical tips, real stories, and genuine wisdom for any father—or parent—seeking to build healthier, more meaningful relationships with their children.

If you're ready to take another step on your fatherhood journey, tune in to this episode of the Dad and Daughter Connection. You'll be inspired, challenged, and better equipped to be the dad your daughter needs. Listen now and join a community that's all about connection, growth, and love.

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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. 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 to be able to come together, to learn together, and to be able to work on these relationships, these connections that we want to build with our daughters.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:01:07 ]:
That's why every week, I love being able to be here, to be able to talk with you, to walk with you, because you and I are on a similar journey. I've got two daughters, you've got daughters. You're here because you want to build a better connection, and all of us want to do that. And I commend you for taking that step, taking that step to listen today, because that's the first step. And showing up here shows that you have an interest in learning to be able to take that next step, to build and make that relationship even stronger. Every week, I bring you different guests, different people with different experiences that can share their own journey, their own journey as a father, as a person that can provide other resources to you to help you in your journey in some way. And today we got another great guest. Shawn Hart is with us, and Shawn is the executive director of Involved dad, and we're going to talk more about Involved dad and what he is creating in the Flint, Michigan area and beyond.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:02:12 ]:
But Sean has had over a decade of experience in managing and spearheading fatherhood initiatives, and he has been working with dads, and not only in his own community, but beyond, to help them to be able to build those stronger relationships. And I had the opportunity to first get to meet Sean through the Dads with Daughters podcast that I used to do. And I love what he's doing in the community where I work in Flint, Michigan, but also in just being an advocate for fathers in general. And I think you're going to hear it in the conversation today and through the work that he does. And I'm really excited to have him here. Sean, thanks so much for being here today. Thank you.

Shon Hart [00:02:53 ]:
Thank you so much, Chris, for having me. I'm really excited to be back in your presence, my brother. So thanks for having me.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:02:59 ]:
Well, I am really excited to have you back as well, because as I said, you know, we. We had an opportunity to meet, I'm gonna say, about a year and a half ago or so. And I love what you're doing, but first and foremost, before we get into involved dad, I want everyone to get to know you a little bit better. So I. And being that this is the dad and daughter connection, we've gotta talk about that relationship with. With your daughter. So what is one of the most meaningful moments that you've had the opportunity to share with your daughter and what made it so special?

Shon Hart [00:03:31 ]:
Well, I have several. Right. But I have two daughters. But I will speak to one moment where. Where I fumbled. Where I fumbled the bag. And this was probably about two years ago, Chris. I gave my daughter so not so best advice, and it wind up doing.

Shon Hart [00:03:50 ]:
Was causing her to become susp from school. So in a nutshell, she was being bullied by some young ladies and me being a protective dad, you know, I told her to go to school the next day and to confront the young lady. Not to fight, but to confront. And so what wind up happening? The school contacted us, told us about it. And if you know my daughter, she's very introverted, Chris. And I just really felt bad with her coming home, just feeling sad and me not being able to be a voice because she didn't want me to go to school. She didn't want me to go talk to the principal or the teachers. You know, she just said she'd handle it.

Shon Hart [00:04:32 ]:
Well, once she got suspended, I felt really bad, brought it up to the school. But this was the moment that night when we were leaving her soccer practice, and I brought it up and I asked her how she was feeling, and I knew she didn't feel well. Right. Being suspended because she's a daughter that really doesn't get in a whole lot of trouble. And she looked at me and she began to cry. And so my thing was like, man, these jokers have my daughter feeling bad. She's crying, she's sad. And so my response to her was, you know what? I'm going to request a meeting with the teacher, the principal, all of the people that should have kept her safe.

Shon Hart [00:05:11 ]:
And her response to me, she looked at me and her response was, is like, dad, I'm not crying because of the suspension. I'm Crying because of what you told me to do. She said, I did not want to go to school and confront, I didn't want to do all of these things. And that's why she was crying. And so immediately, man, I felt guilty, I felt so bad because she's very introverted, doesn't like conflict. And I believe there's a way that you can help teach your children to advocate for themselves using their voice. But when she did that, I felt bad.