The Profound Impact of Fathers on Daughters

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Recommended: Absent fathers and the effects this has on female children

"Any fool can be a father, but it takes a real man to be a daddy." - Philip Whitmore, Sr.
…And girls need their daddies! Fathers seem to be in tune to the fact that boys require special attention, discipline and leadership, but they are often unaware of how desperately their daughters need them (Dobson 93). Girls crave the love, attention and approval of their fathers. Whether or not they receive it, greatly impacts them their whole lives. Some would argue that this craving for affirmation among girls is the primary responsibility of the mother, while many fathers view the task of raising girls as a woman’s job (Dobson 93). However, it is highly evident that a daughter’s self-esteem, behavior, and relationships are directly impacted by the positive or negative relationship she has with her father.
A father has a tremendous impact in the development of his daughter’s self-esteem; how she feels about herself and her general sense of being a person of value. Studies confirm that a daughter who has a positive and nurturing relationship with her father tends to display a stronger sense of self-worth (Katz and Van Der Kloet). In these studies, daughters with emotionally responsive fathers showed a higher level of self-confidence, a lesser acceptance of male dominance and a higher level of sexual refusal behaviors. Therefore, it is important for a father to not only be physically present; but, also emotionally involved with his daughter. Additionally, daughters need to know that they are just as important to their fathers as their brothers are; and, they also need that one-on-one time with daddy. A recent study from Baylor University shows that some of the best father-daughter bonding experiences come through a father playing sport...

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...nce And College Women's Sexual Refusal Behaviors." American Journal of Family Therapy 38.4 (2010): 344-356. CINAHL with Full Text. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.
Morman, Mark. “Shared Activities -- Especially Sports -- Are 'Game Changers' for Father- Daughter Relationships, Baylor Study Finds”. Baylor. Web. 25 Nov 2013. .Seay, Rebecca. Daddy/Daughter Survey. Winston Salem, NC: Facebook, 26-30 Nov. 2013. Survey Monkey.
Vaughan, J. “Dads and the Daughters They Love”. Focus on the Family (Canada). Web. 25 Nov 2013. .
Yoba, Akoshia. “She's Always Watching: The Impact of Fathers on Daughters' Self Esteem”. Web. 25 Nov 2013. .

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