6 Things That Are Imperative For A Dad To Teach His Daughter

image courtesy of momma pope As a father I am a firm believer that whatever you can teach a son, you can pretty much teach a daughter the same skills.  Anything from how to throw a baseball properly to baiting a fishing hook is fair game for both sexes.  You should teach girls about how to manage money, how to hold a hammer, what the quarterback's job is and the different types of screwdrivers, they're all very important skills.  I get frustrated when I see a woman who has no clue how to even put together an IKEA desk or asks what inning the football game is in.  My wife can hammer a nail straighter than most men in our neighbourhood and knows as much about our local hockey team as I do.

As a typical Canadian dad I would love for my daughter to play hockey, that would be awesome, but if its ballet she chooses then ballet it is.  She's currently too young for hockey or ballet so we have her enrolled in swimming lessons and she loves it.

Mom, of course, is going to pass along some skills and knowledge that she has obtained from her mom who learned from her mom....(and so it continues).  With each passing generation, information that is no longer pertinent gets left out.  The most valuable skills get passed along (which is why mothers typically no longer teach daughters how to churn butter!)  In our household, I'm sure mom is going to teach our daughter how to sew, bake, and about computers (she's employed in the computer consulting field).

There are some things that she can only learn from dad.  There is probably a giant list, but here are the ones I feel are of most important.

1. How a woman should be treated - through words and actions. It's not only important for you to tell a your daughter how a woman should be treated, but she should see it on a daily basis from you towards her and her mother, it then becomes the norm.

2. That no matter what people might say - she is capable of anything. The gender barrier b.s. unfortunately still exists.  You need to teach your daughter that it exists, and that with perseverance she can do anything she dreams of in life.  It's of no use for mom to be telling her she can do anything she dreams and dad says "being a firefighter is for boys".

3. That men love and show emotions. Not just toward the women in their lives but the other men.  It's ok to love a buddy like a brother and hug your dad and tell him you love him for that matter!

4. That whatever she feels she can tell her mom, she should feel comfortable telling her dad. - I'm not a big fan of "I told my mom but I'd NEVER have told my dad".  Yes there are going to be some exceptions to the rule on what a daughter will tell her dad due to her comfort level. That line of communication to her dad should always be available to her.

5. That whatever decisions she makes in life that you will always be there. - There are going to be times when you are proud as punch and times when you may not have made the same decision she did, but you are there for her, you need to be her "rock".

6. That she's beautiful. - A given, but dad's shouldn't be afraid to reinforce this point.  There are too many women out there with image issues, its scary.

I would like to hear what you other dads think about this topic.  I would also like to hear from you girls, is there something that you distinctly remember "dad taught me that"   See you in the comments!