Any fool can be a Father, but it takes a real man to be a Daddy!! --Philip Whitmore Senior
In this day and age daddy/daughter relationships have become merely living under the same roof and exchanging "hello" at breakfast and dinner, if the father even has time to make it to a meal. The plethora of songs and movies about girls who never knew their dads further showcases this problem.
This has really been on mind lately. I know this is not the type of relationship I want my daughter to describe to someone when they ask what her relationship with me is like. God calls us to be good fathers and protect our little girls. The relationship we have with our daughters will shape the way they look at life.
This summer I had the opportunity to spend a whole week at summer camp with my daughter. I was speaking at the camp she was attending so we had extra time together. We rode the golf cart around, stayed out late, laughed and had a lot of fun. But being a father is more than a one week a year job. It is a 24/7 job.
I personally am always trying to cultivate my relationship with my daughter. One of the ways I do this is through taking her on "dates." This is a night where she gets to choose where we eat and what we do. I do this because I not only want this quality time with my daughter, but I want her to see what a gentleman should treat her like and to have high expectations when she starts dating.
I want to encourage you to make time for your daughter. You will never understand how much your influence has an impact on her. Many girls get in trouble when they start dating because they look for love in all the wrong places. Your daughter needs affirmation from you. Affirmation builds confidence in our daughters.
Three ways to get started are:
1) Find out what she wants/ likes to do and spend time doing it with her.
2) Encourage her. Provide affirmation and compliments to build her self esteem.
3) Keep pursing a relationship with her even when it feels really hard to connect.
As a father your role is important and a powerful position. If you don't step up to the plate someone else will and it may not be the "someone" you want around your baby girl. Teach her what to look for in a man and tell her you love her.
Need further inspiration? Watch this great video of a dad and daughter talking about the importance of their relationship.
--Jay