What happens when a daughter grows up without her dad—and how does that absence echo into the rest of her life?
In this deeply moving conversation, we sit down with Jeaneen Tang, a Los Angeles–based speech-language pathologist, author, and mom, who opens up about growing up without her father, breaking generational cycles, and using her own story to guide how she raises her son today.
Jeaneen’s story reminds every father that the quiet moments—the ones we think don’t matter—are often the ones our daughters carry the longest. From learning to build self-worth without validation to understanding the lifelong effects of presence and absence, this episode is a call for dads everywhere to lean back into what truly matters: being there.
We also talk about her work as a speech therapist and her powerful approach to early childhood communication outlined in her new book, Play Dumb and Sabotage—a mindful guide for parents who want to help their children build confidence and language through connection.
Book: Play Dumb and Sabotage — available on Amazon and all major audiobook platforms
00:00 – Intro: Welcome to The Daughtered Podcast
01:12 – Growing up without a present father
05:58 – Learning self-worth when love feels conditional
09:44 – How absence shapes confidence and relationships
13:22 – The moment she realized she had to break the cycle
17:50 – “Presence over Provision” — what daughters truly remember
23:11 – Lessons for fathers: listening, showing up, and dropping the ego
28:40 – How childhood wounds
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