Daddys and Little Girls...

I write this post with a 13 month old little girl climbing all over me, and Sesame Street on in the background… Anyway, I was inspired this morning to write about one of my favorite topics… daddys and little girls. My little girl, Abigail, loves her daddy…deservedly so! This morning during breakfast Abby had only been in her high chair for about 2 seconds before she started waving her hands frantically in the air and whining (her sign for “all done”). I didn’t understand, because generally she is a pretty good breakfast eater. After a few moments I realized that she heard the water running in the

bathroom and knew that her daddy was in there cleaning paint brushes (my husband is a painter). Nothing was more important to her at that moment than being where her daddy was. So… I got her down from her chair and she toddled quickly into the bathroom to “help” daddy.

It is a joy to me to watch Abigail and her daddy’s relationship deepen and grow. I remember noticing the different, special, way she related to her dad when she was about 6 weeks old. “Dada” was Abby’s first word which she proclaimed with enthusiasm at 11 months. Over the last 3 months, she has only added one other word to her vocab repertiore, the word “no,” which she exclaims frequently and loudly… dragging out the “o,” “NOOOOOOOO!” But, what other words does a young girl need, besides “dada” and “no?”

Here are some fun facts about dad’s relationships with their daughters:
More girls are following dad’s career path http://www.news-medical.net/?id=46136
Father’s teach their daughters how to think about themselves http://www.dr-jane.com/chapters/Jane125.htm
Father’s teach their daighters what kind of relationships are healthy, and what to expect from other men in their lives http://www.dr-jane.com/chapters/Jane125.htm
Girls with close relationships with their fathers tend to enter puberty later, while girls with absent or distant fathers begin puberty earlier http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/09/990927064822.htm (this one is fascinating, and worth reading!)
Children with involved fathers do better in school, have higher self esteem, and are less likely to abuse substances http://www.lifescript.com/Life/Family/Relativity/The_Importance_of_Fathers.aspx
Children learn eating habits more from their fathers than from their mothers
A girl’s relationship with her father, and her perception of how he views her physically, is directly related to her body image and presence or lack of eating disorder(s) http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=18108100
To say the least… a girls relationship with her father is extremely important.