Daddy's Little Girl

Princess with Daddy during a family walk. 

"Fathers generally have as much or more impact as mothers do in the following areas of their daughters’ lives: (1) achieving academic and career success—especially in math and science (2) creating a loving, trusting relationship with a man (3) dealing well with people in authority—especially men (4) Being self-confident and self-reliant (5) Being willing to try new things and to accept challenges (6) Maintaining good mental health (no clinical depression, eating disorders, or chronic anxiety) (7) Expressing anger comfortably and appropriately—especially with men"

-Linda Nielsen, Ed.D.

Girls with a high self esteem are far less likely to make reckless decisions sexually or allow themselves to be treated disrespectfully by men in their relationships. I see young girls who seem to just be searching for love in all the wrong places and it saddens my heart. There are so many girls out there who struggle with self esteem their entire life and they often make poor decisions because of it. To think their life could have gone in a completely different direction if only they had received the love they needed from their Dad. 

Our daughter is now 3 and often times I think about how important her relationship with Daddy is. I wonder what her future will hold and what things she will do in her life. To think that bond and affirmation from a little girls Dad can help her self esteem for her entire life, that is a huge responsibility for every father. I know the things my father said to me all growing up and even now greatly affects the way I view myself. I pray daily for healthy relationships between my husband and our children, and especially for his relationship with our daughter, because I know just how important that will be in molding the women she will become. Self is esteem is easy to build in young children and hard to get back if it has been destroyed in childhood. So lets all tell our children daily how special and loved they are and that they are capable or whatever they set their minds to. 

"Belief in oneself is one of the most important bricks in building any successful venture."
-Lydia M. Child