Daughters are great. I love it when one of my daughters puts her hand in mine, when she hugs so tight my neck hurts, when she crawls up onto my lap, or when she whispers a secret in my ear.

There are no perfect daddies. We are all busy, we all say the wrong things, and we all struggle trying to know what in the world to do with our daughters. We were never little girls.

Our daughters need us to teach them what true love and affection really are so that they will be able to recognize the counterfeits when they appear. They need to know that they are special. This can happen only as they become a priority in our lives. We have a responsibility to protect, direct, and correct their lives and to do it in the most loving, strong, and joyful manner possible.

The worth that your daughter sees in herself will be derived from the image that you project to her, and that takes time. The only quality time that you will enjoy with your daughter is what flows from the quantity of time you invest with her. I hope that this article gives you a lot of ideas that work as you become the very best daddy your daughter could ever have.

  • Kiss her mother in her presence.
  • Leave her a note or present where she will find it when you are out of town or not home when she goes to sleep.
  • Compliment her character and skill three times for every one compliment on her appearance.
  • Hold her when she cries.
  • Tell her Bible stories.
  • Look through a clothing catalog and explain to her what is becoming on a young lady and what is not.
  • Pray for her future husband.
  • Help her clean her room.
  • On your own, read The Blessing by John Trent and Gary Smalley, Little House on the Freeway by Tim Kimmel, and Point Man by Steve Farrar.
  • Give her a children’s Bible with her name on it.

Adapted from How to Be Your Daughter’s Daddy. By Dan Bolin. Published by Nav Press. Copyright © 1993 by Dan Bolin. Used with permission.