The Invisible Labor of Adult Daughters: Baylor Expert Highlights the Valuable Role of Adult ‘Daughtering’

Sept. 25 is National Daughter’s Day, a day set aside in 1932 to celebrate adult daughters often overlooked for their role with aging parents

Media Contact: Kelly Craine, Baylor University Media and Public Relations, 254-297-9065
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WACO, Texas (Sept. 13, 2022) – National Daughter’s Day is Sept. 25, an oft-overlooked holiday that actually has been around since 1932 to honor the daughters in our lives. But much like the holiday, adult daughters themselves are often unnoticed for the important role they play in the lives of their parents.

Allison M. Alford, Ph.D., clinical assistant professor of business communication at Baylor University, researches adult daughters and their “invisible labor” in maintaining the unity of a family. Often called on to take over the duties once taken care of by their parents, adult daughters find themselves providing support, nurturing and much more in a socially and communicatively constructed, shaped and molded role that includes navigating, responding to and negotiating cultural and familial discourses

In her most recent research in the journal Communication Quarterly, Alford describes the work and effort that daughters provide their parents – not as “mothering” – but instead “daughtering.”

“It’s that purposeful work that helps relationships flourish but often goes uncredited as work, even by daughters themselves, in part because the efforts are wrapped in misleading language and society hasn’t adopted a lexicon specifically for daughtering,” said Alford, who edited the book, “Constructing Motherhood and Daughterhood Across the Lifespan,” with research partner Michelle Miller-Day, Ph.D., of Chapman University in Orange County, California.

Daughtering involves such “invisible labor” as planning and organizing family events, resolving conflicts, acting as a buffer with other family members, preparing for the future and more—with the intent of supporting important family relationships, Alford said. As parents age, adult daughters increase support provisions in numerous ways, big and small.

Embracing National Daughters Day

In recent years, social media has embraced National Daughters Day with parents posting loving tributes and sharing stories about their daughters, recognition that Alford encourages.

“Adult daughters put a lot of effort into their families and recognizing their hard work with praise and affirmation shows that what they do matters. Every daughter would love to hear compliments on her daughtering,” Alford said, recommending that parents take time on Sept. 25 to acknowledge and thank their adult daughters for the care and time they give to the family.

A few simple ways parents can acknowledge adult daughters:

• Call your daughter on the phone and tell her how much her efforts have meant to you,
• Create a social media tribute and share a picture of yourselves,
• Order takeout delivered to her house for dinner, or
• Call the grandkids and tell them a sweet story about their mom.

Also on Sept. 25, Alford and Miller-Day will launch their weekly podcast, “Hello Mother, Hello Daughter,” which will explore what it means to be an adult daughter and how daughtering and mothering work together to create a harmonious family. The podcast will be available everywhere you listen to podcasts. “Hello Mother, Hello Daughter” also is on social media on Instagram and Facebook.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.

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Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business strives to further God’s kingdom through the realm of business, using God-given gifts and academic talents to do so. Faculty and students conduct purposeful research and participate in experiential learning opportunities, all while operating in a Christ-centered mission. Undergraduate students can choose from 13 major areas of study. Graduate students can earn their MBA on their terms, either through the full-time, online or a Dallas-based executive program. The Business School also offers three Ph.D. programs in Information Systems, Entrepreneurship or Health Services Research. The School’s top-ranked programs make up approximately 25 percent of the University’s total enrollment. Visit hankamer.baylor.edu for more information.