10 Things that Fathers Should Do with Their Daughters
It’s a general rule that fathers quickly become their daughter’s heroes and their shoulders to cry on. They are the ones to solve all of their little one’s problems.
But as time goes by, fathers start to wonder what they need to do so that this beautiful paternal vision remains intact.
As their daughters get older, dads start to ask themselves if they can contribute to their girls’ maturity and emotional development. Fathers want their daughters to grow up to be strong women. So, of course, men need to know what they should do in order to make this happen.
“How you live your life I don’t care, but I’ll sell my arms for you, hold your secrets forever”
–Michael Ondaatje-
Things that fathers should do with their daughters
Below, we’ll analyze 10 guidelines or suggestions for fathers:
- The most important thing you can do is spend quality time with your little one. This is something we’ve talked about in the past. A father is a daughter’s example and a role model throughout her life. Even when life is stressful and demanding, remember that you can never turn back the clocks. Therefore, make a point to spend all the time you can with your little girl.
- Bath time is bonding time. Bath time is a great way to strengthen the bond between daddy and daughter. It’s a relaxing time for your little one, and a great opportunity for you to play with your daughter and her toys.
- Hold her hand. This is a simple gesture that you can use to teach your daughter that you will always be by her side. When you hold her hand, she feels happy and safe.
- Listen to her attentively. Your little girl needs to feel that she can tell her daddy anything and that he’ll pay attention. If she does, this will open up the lines of communication that will be so necessary in the years to come.
- Show your daughter that you trust her. Trust will be very important when the time comes for your daughter to start gaining more freedom. Your trust will strengthen the bond between the two of you, and she will be committed to not letting you down.
- Be loving toward her mother. Remember that your daughter is constantly observing the example that you set and the way you act. Treat the mother of your children with respect, love and care. In doing so, you will be providing a model for the kind of man your daughter will choose in the future.
- Share different experiences together. As a father, you can choose different activities to carry out with your daughter that will help her in her adult life. You can go on outings together, to the movies, horse-riding, etc.
- Teach your daughter a sport. This will further strengthen your connection to your daughter and help her to feel a sense of responsibility and healthy competition.
- Write letters about moments from childhood. You can save these letters and show them to her when she is older. This will show her how greatly important she has always been in her father’s life.
- At all times, give her your support and attention. Whatever opinion your daughter might have… No matter what problems she may present… No matter how trivial her problem may seem to you… They are a big deal for her. Therefore, set aside time for her so she can see that her dad is truly there for her no matter what.
“Daddy, thank you for being my hero, chauffeur, financial support, listener, life mentor, friend, guardian and for simply being there every time I need a hug”
-Agatha Stephanie Lin-
Fathers, the next time you spend time with your little girls, remember there’s no better way to devote your time. These are moments you’ll never get back.
In fact, before you know it, your little princesses will be young, mature and strong women. They will lead independent lives. But they will never forget what their fathers did for them.
So now that you know what to do, what are you waiting for?
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Aranda Suarez, M. P. (2018). La herencia de papá. Género, fútbol y familia: estereotipos de género y tipificación en la relación padre e hija.
- Estalayo Martín, L. M. (2010). ¿ Qué significa ser buen padre?. Revista de la asociación española de neuropsiquiatría, 30(3), 419-436. Disponible en: https://scielo.isciii.es/scielo.php?pid=S0211-57352010000300005&script=sci_arttext&tlng=en
- González, O. F., Farías, M. D. L. Á. O., & Ferrer, E. S. P. (2014). ¿ Quién es un buen padre?: representaciones femeninas acerca de la paternidad. Integración Académica en Psicología., 2(5). Disponible en: https://scholar.google.es/scholar?hl=es&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=ser+un+buen+padre&btnG=#d=gs_qabs&u=%23p%3DKNzt2FjDNg4J