By Kamea Say, 10-3
February 19, 2022
This year’s online Father-Daughter Bonding Activity (FDBA) for Grade 7 and 8 daughters and their fathers took place last February 19, 2022. The second of its kind, the activity gave the students and their fathers (both here in the country and OFW fathers)the opportunity to spend time with their daughters.
An energizer game called “Last Virtual Hand Raised”, a modified version of “Last Pair Standing”, kicked off the event. Fathers and daughters were tested on their knowledge of one another through a series of questions about each other, with pairs being eliminated every time they answered incorrectly. Guest speaker Dr. Ed Caligner, a clinical counseling psychologist, then delivered a talk on the importance of fathers in their daughters’ lives. He gave a list of reasons why fathers’ involvement is important, among these reasons being their influence on their children’s development. They provide a positive male role model and help their daughters develop a sense of boundaries in relationships. Wynd Tupas from Grade 9 also shared her experience as part of the first batch to experience the FDBA online, which added to the attendees’ excitement for what was to come.
The highlight of the event was the four bonding center stations. The first is called “Affirmation”. In this center, father-daughter pairs identified qualities they appreciate and are grateful for in each other. The second is “Dialogue”. In this center, the attendees talked about issues currently affecting their relationship as well as their ideals and expectations for each other. This helped prepare them for the challenges and obstacles they may encounter in their relationship in the future. According to the fathers, the first two stations were their favorites because they had an opportunity to have a heart-to-heart conversation with their daughters.
The third station is the “Building Life Skills” center. In this center, fathers taught and demonstrated basic life-skill tasks to their daughters. This way, their daughters were able to handle themselves and become more capable women. The last one is called “Playtime Memories”. In this center, the attendees got an opportunity to “unplug” and have fun playing Minute-to-Win-It games with each other.
The bonding activity would not be complete without the wrist corsage ceremony and the dance. The fathers prepared DIY corsages to tie on their daughters’ wrists after reciting a pledge. A memorable father-daughter dance marked the end of the event with each pair swaying to the music with bright smiles on their faces. The father and daughter pairs were successful in deepening their relationship even if the event was conducted online.
