Parents are the most important people in a child’s life. They create us, introduce us to this world and everything in it, raise us, help us overcome our fears, have an active role in shaping our personality and creating our own world from scratch.
However, regardless of the fact that both mom and dad are an essential part of a child’s development, there is one special bond I think you’ll all agree that plays a big role in a kid’s life.
That’s the indestructible, everlasting, powerful bond between fathers and daughters.
Mamas, don’t me wrong. You undoubtedly have the strongest and most unique connection with your children. But there is something special about the daughter-father bond that affects the lives of their daughters in a truly intriguing and life-changing way.
A father is the first male figure in a girl’s life.
He is the safe shelter that she goes to.
He is the pillar of her strength.
Her first love.
While moms cuddle us and teach us to be gentler, fathers encourage us to be strong. To never stop being curious, even though we make mistakes. To never give up no matter how afraid we are. To always push our limits. The mother is the one who avoids risks, and the father is the one who encourages us to always try and learn from our mistakes.
Now, before some of you disagree with this and tell me that there are always exceptions to the rule, wait up. You are right, there are exceptions. Not all of you out there had the luck to be raised by a loving and caring father. But here’s what. I’m not just saying this because I had a great childhood thanks to my father and my mother.
I’ve got science to back me up on this!
So, why do fathers have such a huge impact on a daughter’s emotional development?
According to a research published in the Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, daughters who don’t have a close relationship with their fathers are more likely to develop psychological and emotional problems and they are more likely to become depressed or anxious than the daughters who maintain close and healthy bonds with their fathers.
It’s no doubt. The family plays a big role in preparing us for all future relationships. Daughters get to know how to get along with their husbands, friends, boyfriends and other people in their life after getting along with father and brother.
So, naturally, problematic relationships with men, depressive symptoms or low levels of self-esteem are often the residue of a father’s desertion. When children grow up with a feeling of closeness with their fathers in the period of adolescence, they are more likely to develop a healthy and satisfying adult marital relationship.
A healthy relationship with the father prevents a daughter from being afraid of establishing an intimate relationship in her future life. For any girl, love with her father is always the first experience of love and introduces her to what male love is all about. If there is a positive love experience with her father in her early years, she is going to do much better and vice versa. As compared to mothers, fathers generally have more impact on how daughters relate to men.
That is exactly why a positive father-daughter relationship has a big impact on a daughter’s interpersonal problems and interactions.
Supportive fathers have special importance in their daughters’ life since they serve as a clear counterforce to prevent male biases. Therefore, a fulfilling daughter is likely to be more socially competent; more secure, psychologically more sound, and give her best to reach her full potential.
It’s truly disappointing that only a few decades ago, fathers were often those who were left in charge of providing the family, while mothers were considered the primary and only caretakers…
However, it is good to know that nowadays, fatherhood has a completely different meaning. Because parenting is not only a mother’s responsibility. Good parenting means having equal roles and responsibilities when it comes to raising your children.
A father should create a safe and protective environment for his daughter not only physically but also emotionally. A father’s behavior should encourage his daughters to never feel afraid to share their feelings.
In the end, it is no doubt that we are the product of those who raise us. After all, we are all programmed to gravitate towards people and relationships that are familiar to us. I get it now… Women do end up marrying their ‘ fathers.
