Must read for dads raising a daughter - part 1

So over the Christmas break I read an AMAZING parenting book specifically for dads raising daughters.

Here's some of the lessons I learned from it:

You are the most important man in your daughter’s life. You will influence her entire life because she gives you an authority she gives no other man.

When you enter a room, your daughter will change. When you’re near her she tries harder to excel. When you teach her she learns more rapidly. When you guide her she gains confidence.

Your daughter watches you intensely. She hangs on every word. She hopes for your attention. She looks for your encouragement and approval.

What your daughter wants most from you is your time.

Your daughter will draw a picture in her mind of how you see her – and that’s the person she’ll want to be

If a daughter can trust her dad to listen, she will come to him again and again to talk.

You have to take the initiative to spend time alone with her. She wants your attention and she needs it on a regular basis.

Let her know that there’s nothing she can do to make you love her more – and there’s nothing she can do to make you love her less.

You’re the most important man in her life – so if you like spending time with her, if you focus on her, if you listen to her … she will feel more attractive and think that boys who don’t want to be with her have a problem.

If you want your daughter to love reading, you must read. If you want her to be athletic, go for a run. The same is true for humility.

When family activities only revolve around what we believe our kids “need” or “want” in order to feel better or be happy, we teach them to become self-centered.

When fathers don’t teach their daughters humility – that we’re all created equal and are equally valuable – advertisers, magazines and celebrities will teach them otherwise.

If you don’t firmly establish that your wife and God are the priority in your family’s life, your children will be vocal – very vocal – that they should be.

Your daughter wants you to teach her about sex – when it’s appropriate to have sex and why.

Your daughter needs you to hug her. Often. If you are gentle, respectful and loving, that’s what she’ll expect from boys.

Teach her self-respect early – that the places a bathing suit covers are very private and need to be kept special – not flaunted or revealed to anyone except her parents and her doctor.

Protect your daughter’s modesty at all times – even if she doesn’t like it or understand it. Teaching your daughter about modesty will make her feel better about herself.

Your daughter needs you to be the voice of reason and practicality.