Girl Power

1. Listen to your daughter's favorite music with her. Ask her why she likes the bands and artists she likes. Learn the words to the songs that she listens to and ask her what they mean to her. Talk about the music you listened to when you were her age. What was popular then compared to what is popular now?
   
   
2. Pretend that you have gone back in time. For one day, avoid using most of today's modern conveniences. See if you can get around without driving the car by biking or walking everywhere you go. Try not to turn on the TV or the radio. Try cooking without using a microwave. See if you can eat dinner by candlelight. Maybe you can even make your own loaf of bread instead of buying one from the supermarket. When the day is over, reflect on the day and talk about how much we rely on modern technology. Talk about how many of these appliances you had when you were growing up.
   
   
3. Take your daughter with you to get the oil changed or ask her to help you out when you do it. Talk about the importance of car safety and maintenance. This might not sound like a fun thing to your daughter, but showing her this when she is young and reinforcing it through the years increases the chances that she will practice car safety and be more aware of car maintenance.
   
   
4. Take a trip to your hometown. Show her the house you grew up in. Tell her what it was like in the neighborhood, and describe a typical day in the life of a 10-year-old you. Ask her if she sees any similarities in what you did when you were her age.
   
   
5. Volunteer for an event together. Do a stream cleanup or tree planting project together. Check your local or community newspaper for listings of volunteer activities. This will teach your daughter the rewards of volunteering and the importance of community.
   
   
6. Help your daughter start a lemonade stand or a bake sale. Start from scratch- have her apply for a loan from you, buy the supplies, determine prices and a good location for her business, design the poster board to advertise her business, and create business cards. When the day is over and the "shop" is closed, after she has paid you back for the loan, see if she has made a profit. This can be an excellent (and penalty-free) exercise in money management and business.
   
   
7. Visit your local library together. Pick out books on topics that you and she are not quite sure you are interested in and explore them. The best thing about libraries is that the books and the knowledge are free! If she didn't like the book or the topic, just return it! No questions asked. This is a great way to explore ideas and learn about topics without spending a ton of money.
   
   
8. Research your family history and create a family tree. You can dig up old family books, pictures, and other memorabilia to help you. Ask your daughter to interview her grandparents or other relatives so that she can be an authority on some of the branches of the tree. This is a great way to spend time together while learning all about your family.
   
   
9. Learn how to read a map together. Work on the basics of map reading and plan a biking, inline skating, or hiking trip together. Identify landmarks and pay attention to elevation levels. Show her how to determine which way you are going and how to calculate mileage.
   
   
10. Go horseback riding together. Girls' love for horses seems almost innate. If your daughter has an insatiable desire, or even a slight interest, to trot or gallop off into the sunset, this is an excellent way to spend quality time with her.
    
    
11. When was the last time you saw a gorilla or a lion up close? Take a trip to the zoo together. There are lots of fun things to do at the zoo. You can talk about which animal you wish you could be and why, you can imitate some of the walks or noises the animals make, or you can simply have fun talking about the natural habitats of the animals and imagine what it would be like to be in their environment.