You must have probably heard that having a strong male influence is essential in a young boy’s life but it is equally crucial for daughters as well. A positive father-daughter relationship can greatly impact a young girl’s life and even determine whether or not she would develop into a strong and confident woman. A father’s influence in his daughter’s life can shape her self-esteem, self-image, confidence and opinions of men.
What matters in the father-daughter relationship is that the father seeks to live a life of integrity and honesty, avoiding hypocrisy and admitting his shortcomings so that she has a realistic and positive example of how to deal with the world. He should try to model a reflective approach to life’s big questions so that she can seek to do the same.
Fathers and daughters: from infant to toddler
We live in a society where the father is an equal partner in caring for the child. From day one, fathers are encouraged to be hands-on, changing diapers, giving baths, putting the baby to sleep and calming her cries. This presence and effort is the beginning of a very important relationship.
He needs to spend time with his infant daughter, taking care of her physical needs and supporting her mother and once the little girl starts toddling around, it is essential that he gets down on the floor on her level and play with her.
Fathers and daughters: from tween to teen
It’s those pesky ‘hormonal’ years that can often have fathers shying away from their moody and sometimes standoffish daughters. When there’s a girl in the house, fathers should focus on cultivating a trusting relationship so that she feels secure talking with him about what’s going on in her life. When required, fathers should apologize and ask for forgiveness, as this shows respect and love to your daughters and heals the pains that will otherwise be inevitable.
As a girl continues to grow and her teen years become fraught with complicated issues, fathers should continue to work on building a trusting relationship, show affection and support her as she learns more about who she is and what kind of person she wants to become.
A father’s influence on a daughter’s self-image
A father’s involvement in his daughter’s life is a crucial ingredient in the development of a young woman’s self-esteem. Verbal encouragement, being consistently present in her life, being alert and sensitive to her feelings, taking time to listen to her thoughts and taking an active interest in her hobbies; your direct involvement will help diminish your girl’s insecurity and increase her confidence in her abilities.
Father’s influence on his daughter’s relationships
The type of men that women date and have long-term relationships with are also directly related to the kind of relationship a girl has with her father. The hope is that the father figure in a girl’s life will aim to skew the young girl’s opinions of men.
Pooja Vaidya
Author’s bio
Pooja vaidya shah, MBA Finance, Diploma in Financial Management
Born as a Mother 1.5 years ago, Social media influncer, Founder and partner at ALL ABOUT BRAIN (DMIT), Professor for management studies for over eight years.
