The best Advice a father can give his daughter

[jchima]

I can recall a particular moment in my adolescent years like it was yesterday. I couldn't wait for my dad to come home so I could tell him that I had won some kind of designation in my junior high school yearbook based on my appearance (save the commentary, people … I got plenty of feedback from the clique of mean girls, walking behind me, whispering just loud enough for me to hear, "She's not even that cute…."). It was one of those strange American public school traditions that should probably be banned, and hopefully is by now. No one was more surprised than I.




I thought my dad would be happy. When I told him, his lips went tight and he looked more concerned than pleased. I remember asking, "What's wrong, dad? Don't you think I'm pretty?" He said, "Of course I think you're pretty. I just really want you to understand that your appearance is not the important part of who you are."
Source: The best Advice a father can give his daughter - eReporter

 

[JakeStarkey]

father knew best in this case

 

[DGS49]

I would say it a little bit differently. I would remind a daughter (I don't have any) that the way you dress and carry yourself sends a message to everyone who looks at you. Too many girls simply want to dress and look like a public figure (e.g., Brittney Spears), without giving any thought to how others will "read" that appearance and demeanor.

Of course, if you ARE a low-self-esteem SLUT, and want to attract boys by whatever means are necessary, then carry on with the tattoos, body ornamentation and so on.

It is disturbing but true that a beautiful female face is an irresistable magnet for almost everyone. Look at the number of products that are advertised by a beautiful female, and have nothing to do with beauty or women in general - gasoline, cars, furniture, and so on.

Parenthetically, I will say that most women have no idea what is attractive to males. I can't count the times when I've heard women and girls badmouth someone who is getting a lot of male attention because "she's not even PRETTY" and they are full of beans.

 

[Figaro]

According the recent event, I think the good advice of father to his daughter could be something like: "Daughter, you're an adult to take serious steps...to make laws...your pro-Second Amendment, your pro-life, your fiscal conservative laws...do what you wanna do, I will cover up all your acts" - Craig Blair, father of Saira Blair, new lawmaker in the West Virginia

 

[AquaAthena]

The best advice a father can give to his daughter is to become independent. "Get an education so you are self-supporting. Remember, lousy choices, lousy life."

Dad also needs to make his daughter feel his approval of her.

 

[Barb]

The most universally useful advice I got was from my friend's dad, not that my own wasn't full of it himself.

Anyway, it was about home appliances, and went something like this:

Women need to appreciate the utility of caste iron, and keep two caste iron frying pans in residence at all times: "the big one to make the lump, and the little one to pound it back in."

To be fair, he had three daughters, four if you count me.

 

[Syriusly]

Among the things I tell my daughter is to never hang out with anyone- ANYONE who would call a woman a slut.

But more on point- the OP is pretty spot on- not exactly how I would say it, but certainly I would do emphasize the oh so many other things that are more important than looks.

The best way to teach that is by example- compliment and point out the accomplishments and worthy acts of others, rather than talking about the looks of other people.

 

[Steven_R]

I think David Allan Coe can sum up my feelings on the matter in a song...



Seriously though, I would definitely get across the message that sex isn't a sin or something to be ashamed of. She should use her best judgment and realize that there's a right time and place and person and use protective measures to keep disease free and non-pregnant, but that you both understand that sex is just a normal part of life, with and without others, and that you understand she might make mistakes while a teenager, but that you aren't going to consider her to be a whore if she gets laid before marriage.