PALISADE — For Greg Thompson, being a "girl dad" is a badge of honor. He and his wife Amanda have raised four girls, now ranging in age from 19 to 24 years old.
He said he has always wanted to keep his bonds strong with his daughters, while not coddling them. He also wanted to share his love of the outdoors with his family, he said during the Bright Spot segment on the KAXE Morning Show.
Thompson realized he could start small: perhaps a 30-minute drive to look for wild animals.
"All of a sudden, you're having that deep conversation, and it's one of the best conversations you've had with your kid, and it just happened naturally," he said.
Building confidence was important to Thompson, too.
"Think about setting up for ice fishing at 20 below," he said.
"You're waiting to get that return. ... If you go through the motions and you go through those hard times, there's fun at the end."
But it wasn't always easy. That's why Thompson wanted to start a podcast.
"It was just a way to pay it forward and make it easier for dads and daughters to do things together."
Listen to our full conversation above to hear more about the next season of Girl Dad Outdoors Podcast and Thompson's recent awards from the Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers.
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The Bright Spot is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.
