Daddies and Daughters

Recently we have been in the season of the dad/daughter dinner date. I have seen literally hundreds of Facebook posts of pictures with fathers and daughters going to special venues and celebrating their relationship. That our culture is embracing the reality that we need to invest special time and effort into our children is a positive thing. With this being said, I have some specific things I would like to say to all dads out there when it comes to their daughters.

1. One night on the town is not enough. Please don’t think that just because you had a date night and dressed up and made a special evening out of it that this makes you exempt from the daily responsibilities of being there for your daughter. Sometimes we think that one big gift, or money, or a special event is going to be adequate to fulfill the needs of our children. We argue that work hours are providing hours when the reality is that home hours provide what is most important. Kids need their parents in their lives every single day. The average father only spends a few minutes  per week with each child. This has to change.
2. Don’t just dress them up, dress them modestly. As a father who has a little girl, there is one thing I have not been able to wrap my head around. Where are the fathers of these young girls and teenagers who are going around without enough clothes or inappropriate, provocative attire? Fathers should know that men are visual creatures and are tempted by what they see. The last thing in this world I want is for my daughter to be inviting men to lust by the way she dresses. Some may say, well moms have the biggest part in clothing styles and outfits. Nonsense! You are the head of the household, fathers! Step up and be a man. If you think a behavior in your family is unrighteous, you have both the power and the responsibility to shut that behavior or activity down.
3. Show your daughters how a lady should be treated. Obviously, the best way to do this is to treat their mom that way. Never ever yell at her mother! Never use foul language or make derogatory statements about her mother! Never show the slightest hint of physical bullying or threatening behavior towards her mother. Your wife needs to be adored, respected, and lifted up on a pedestal. She needs to be cared for, protected, and handled delicately and with steadfast love. Daughters are going to look for husbands that are like their daddies. Be the husband to your wife that you want the husband to your daughter to be.
4. Shelter your daughters from evil. You really have a very short time to do this. They are being exposed to evil from every corner. Mass media and social networks are after your daughter. The world is trying to paint a different picture of what a woman is than the one God has painted. Be involved and even be nosey. For her sake don’t be a fool and make assumptions that nothing bad is going to happen to her. Boys and men will try to get to her as she ages. Girls and women who are wicked will try to get her to do the things they do. Fathers, intensely shelter your daughters and don’t be afraid of being labeled as an over-protective parent. My parents were certainly over-protective compared to other parents and I was not allowed to do what all the other kids were doing. I have only one word in my reply to their constant hovering – “Thanks!”
5. Be their best friend. Do things with them. Listen to them. Adore them. Celebrate them. Rejoice because of them. And yes, let them have you wrapped around their finger for a while. They are leaving! Cherish this NOW! You want their husband to one day be their best friend when you are gone. That will be his role and she should expect this from the man she marries. She won’t let him be her best friend if you are not.

I conclude this article with a few tears. I have a little girl and she is absolutely the apple of my eye. I thank God for her. I never thought being a parent could be like ths:

“May our sons flourish in their youth like well-nurtured plants. May our daughters be like graceful pillars, carved to beautify a palace.” – Psalm 144:12

—————————

To Receive Every Post via Email for Free, Click Here