She twirls… her skirt spins.
Hands on her hips, she looks coyly over her shoulder.
She thinks to herself, “Do you see me? Do you think I’m pretty?”
Acknowledger her. Let her know she’s beautiful. Smart. Important. Unique. Perfect.
Dad! She needs to hear it. She will go to great lengths to hear it from you. If she doesn’t, she’ll spend the rest of her life seeking it from others. Don’t let some 13 year old boy be the first one to open the door for her… to ask her on a date… to tell her she is loved. Let it be from you first. Set the bar high.
June 20th, 2007 at 1:58 pm
So true. I’m a girl who didn’t get that, and let me tell you, I probably would’ve avoided alot of heartache had that bar been set high to start with.
Carrie
June 20th, 2007 at 2:38 pm
I have a “Daddy Date Night” once a year for all our girls 3 years old through 11. Dad and daughter(s) dress up, he buys her a coursage, they come for a nice dinner and it’s magic! We had a princess theme this year with door prizes, tiaras, crowd breakers and a special devotional from one of the dads. The girls talked about it for weeks and can’t wait for the next one. We even had a photographer to capture the “couples”. The dads thanked me over and over again and I know it helped them remember your exact point, Gina!
June 20th, 2007 at 4:09 pm
There is a song by Alli Rogers called beautiful from her album always eden that is about this very thing. If you have never heard of Alli, she is wonderful singer and guitarist.
BEAUTIFUL
An only child in a lonely town
With her head held high and her hair flowing down
Her mama told her babe you know
you’re beautiful inside and out
first day of school and the kids all laughed
as a kick me sign was placed on her back
fighting the tears she walked away
knowing just exactly what mama would say
I don’t need you I don’t need you
I don’t need you cause I know
I’m beautiful, I might be slow
But I’m beautiful
My mama told me so
Thirteen years and not much has changed
You’d think by now they’d stop calling her names
But she still fights the tears and walks on by
Cause she remembers her mamas words
Way back when they needed to be heard
They give her strength to say to herself
I don’t need you I don’t need you
I don’t need you cause I know
I’m beautiful, I might be slow
But I’m beautiful
My mama told me so
Time goes on and so does mamas strength
She says babe, come here I’ve got something to say
You’re mama’s not as young as she used to be
And sometimes I don’t know what Daddy sees in me
And her baby said
You’re beautiful you’re beautiful
You’re beautiful I know
You’re beautiful, you might be slow
But you’re beautiful
You’re baby told you so
June 20th, 2007 at 6:41 pm
Ryan,
I’m checking out Alli on iTunes.
Lori,
What a great idea. I wonder what other things we can do to encourage our fathers to invest in their daughters like that.