Why do daughters need their father?
What can they provide that mothers can’t?
A father leaves an indelible imprint and plays a pivotal role in the growth and development of his daughter.
Family expert David Popenoe highlights the significance of dad in a daughter’s life.
“Fathers are the first and most important men in the lives of girls. They provide male role models, accustoming their daughters to male-female relationships. Engaged and responsive fathers play with their daughters and guide them into challenging activities. They protect them, providing them with a sense of physical and emotional security.”
Dads are important in helping daughters put things in perspective. You might see yourself primarily as a provider, but you also have a powerful role as a teacher.
Why dads should spend time with their daughter
Research demonstrates that a positive father-daughter relationship can set up a daughter for success, boosting academic achievement, psychological health and whether or not she develops into a strong, confident woman.
While almost any man can father a child, there is so much more to the important role of being a dad in a child’s life and on why dads should spend time with their daughters. Your daughter may not tell you how much she needs your time. Take the initiative to spend time with her on a regular basis. Use this time for emotional balance, for relaxing and having fun. Your physical presence can make her feel protected and less likely to stay out of trouble in her growing years.
Why daughters need their fathers
1. Dads define their daughters’ future relationship
Showing your daughter and her mother respect consistently in your actions and words set the standard for how your daughter feels she should be treated by other men. Dad provides a role model for manhood that their daughter is likely to look for when they start to date.
If a father was kind, loving, and gentle, his daughter will seek for those characteristics in men. The traditional saying “girls marry their fathers” is true.
2. Dads develop behavioural traits in their daughters
Daughters who have a strong relationship with their fathers are empowered to avoid both negative peer pressure and teen pregnancy. They are far less likely to become sexually active in their early teens and more likely to turn to their boyfriend for emotional support than being pressured into having sex. As a result of having made wiser decisions, they will have more satisfying and long-lasting marriages.
3. Dads shape their daughters’ self-esteem
Daughters can be prone to self-doubt. They long for affection and affirmation to be consistently present in their lives.
Dads are not only great at spotting confidence gap; they play a crucial role in teaching their daughters to believe in themselves. When a father speaks words of encouragement to his daughter and admire her intrinsic qualities, those valuable words boost her confidence greatly. Albeit few, your positive words are powerful.
Every father has a power in his daughter’s life that a mother just doesn’t have. It is highly important to recognise the roles of why daughters need their fathers in their lives.
Read also: How I Mother My Daughters
There are immense reasons on why dads should spend time with their daughters. Being a dad is hard work but it’s worth knowing the values on why daughters need their fathers.
Carving out 10 minutes a day to listen and speak to your daughter can bring your father-daughter relationship to a deeper level. Letting your daughter know how important she is to you can be a huge source of self-worth for her when her identity feels delicate.
There’s no bigger job and title than a dad, and none more rewarding.
