To ground this article in reality, let’s listen to adult daughters who live with their fathers. (Names changed for privacy.)
Psychologists call this "mere-exposure." I call it trust by osmosis. She watches him pay bills without panic. She sees him fix a leaky faucet with patience. She hears him laugh on the phone with his friends. She observes his disappointment when he loses something, and his grace when he accepts it. To ground this article in reality, let’s listen
Living together forces proximity. You cannot hide your bad days from her, and she cannot hide hers from you. When she comes home from school or work with tears in her eyes, the ideal father puts down his phone. He doesn't say, "Here is what you should do." He says, "That sounds awful. I’m sorry. Do you want pasta for dinner?" She sees him fix a leaky faucet with patience