“I’m having a girl?” A dad’s guide to raising daughters
by Esther Henry
Nurse: “..you’re having….a girl. Congratulations!”
Me: *sigh* “Maybe the next one will be a boy.”
Why is it that men feel it’s more terrifying to raise a girl instead of a boy? It’s pretty easy by being consistent with doing the right things, makes raising daughters simple. Here is a guide to help fight the fear of raising your daughter.
- Watch how you treat her mother. This is the most important tip as is helps to develop your daughter’s ability to develop, and maintain a stable relationship in her future. Ask yourself, would you want your daughter to marry someone who treats her the way you treated her mother?
- Quality over Quantity. Your daughter requires your attention!Be genuinely interested in the things that interests her. She needs her father to be involved in her life at every stage. Make sure that she understands, and feels, that she is your number one priority in life.
- NEVER miss her birthday. She won’t remember the present you gave her five years ago, but she’ll never forget that you weren’t there.
- Do her hair and nails. Get in the game even when the activities are girly. This is a great way to show your daughter that their interests and ideas are important. Show her that a man can be gentle.
- Tell her she’s beautiful. It is important that you remind her that she’s beautiful from an early age in order to combat the negative value of others. Apart from beauty, also compliment her intelligence, talents and hard work. Don’t pretend that her looks will never matter, but teach her not to judge herself or let herself be judged only on looks.
- “I’m so lucky to be your dad.” Your job as a father is to make sure that your daughter feel like she’s the luckiest girl in the world. This can be achieved my constantly reminding her that you are the luckiest guy in the world.
- Talk, Talk & Talk. Girls love to talk, which means you need to learn to listen. Take some time to have tea with her and ask her what’s on her mind, or randomly take her out for dinner just the two of you can talk. She’s love you for it and this create a strong bond.
