Fathers Might Have A Greater Influence on Their Daughters, Says New Study

Do you know that fathers influence on daughters life is greater than the mother’s? This Father’s Day 2024, know more about the importance of father figure in a child’s life!

Daughters have always shared a wonderful bonding with their fathers from ancient times.

In Greek mythology, no matter how Zeus was at war with his sons, his daughters, especially Athena proved to be his strongest ally. She was just more than a beautiful goddess; she was an extremely talented woman with a strong intellectual level.

In recent years, single mothers are coming into focus with the trend of believing that only a woman can bring up a child. But both men and women are required for a child’s upbringing and the father’s role in daughter’s life has been underestimated for a long time.

So what is the importance of a father in a daughter’s life?

Fathers Influence On Daughters: #1 Importance Of A Father Figure

Working on the father’s role in a daughter’s life, psychologists from all over the globe have insisted that it’s necessary for a girl to be raised by her father properly. Father helps in developing the daughter’s personality apart from supporting her financially.

According to the research published in the Journal of Family Psychology, fathers impact on daughters are many; girls who are more close to their fathers are more organized in their life and usually do not get affected by anxiety or depression, or loneliness. They are well adept at handling the stress of their lives.

Read: Abandonment Trauma

The father’s role in a daughter’s life becomes important when the father becomes a hero for the girl, when he treats her well, and takes care of her. His independent nature makes him the role model for her as she learns to be responsible, execute things, and take care of her life on her own. How fathers affect their daughters?

While he protects his little princess, he also shows her that difficult times are part of their lives and we can all go through them with a smiling face.

Data collected from the journal also sheds light on the health aspects of the father’s role in a daughter’s life. Daughters who shared a good bonding with their fathers have healthier cholesterol levels in times of crisis compared to those who didn’t.

A father plays a significant role in developing his daughter’s personality. He not only teaches her moral values but also makes her understand how it is important to build an identity.

According to a study published in Psychology Today, Dr. Jennifer Kromberg explained that parents are the ones who teach a child to express and receive love, handle disagreements, and similar social behaviors.

So, when a girl is bonded with her father since her early years of life, she starts understanding how her relationship with a man will be. In fact, it has been found that the biggest significance of a father’s role in a daughter’s life is that women generally tend to choose men resembling their fathers and it is often an unconscious decision.

When a father gets involved with his daughter’s upbringing from the beginning, she develops a strong personality and becomes capable enough to take control of her life on her own.

Talking about the bond between a caregiver and an infant, Dr. Mary Beth Steinfeld of the UC Davis Medical Center stated that when a caregiver consistently responds to an infant’s needs, a trusting relationship and lifelong attachment will develop.

A father might not be able to breastfeed his daughter but the father’s role in a daughter’s life doesn’t have to be restricted there. He can sing her lullaby, take her out for a walk and feed her when she is a baby. From changing diapers of their baby daughters to cheering for her at her musical or enjoying a soccer game together, a father’s role in a daughter’s life is profound.

This engagement of fathers inspires their daughters to break stereotypes and do things as independent individuals.

A study in the Journal of Family Psychology also reveals that girls whose fathers were involved with them from the beginning were physically healthier than the ones who suffered from their father’s absence.

In a study, the role of social modeling by father. was highlighted For example, low-income adolescent girls who reported seeing their fathers consume milk had higher calcium intakes than did those girls who did not see their fathers drink milk.

A father is a daughter’s mentor, best friend, first love, and caregiver.

While we can’t deny that there are men who can ruin their daughter’s childhood, there are also men who become role models for their daughters.

It is important for us to understand that the contributions of a mother are not devalued when we emphasize the father’s role in a daughter’s life.

Read: What Are The Different Types Of Family Structure?

So, now you know the importance of a father in a daughter’s life. If you are a mother reading this article, make sure your husband and daughter have a healthy relationship. If you are a father reading the article, know the father’s role in daughter’s life and enjoy and nurture the relationship you share with your daughter.

Till then Happy Father’s Day 2024!

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References

• Allgood, S.M., Beckert, T.E. and Peterson, C., 2012. The role of father involvement in the perceived psychological well-being of young adult daughters: A retrospective study. North American Journal of Psychology, 14(1), pp.95-110.
• Lamb, M.E., Owen, M.T. and Chase-Lansdale, L., 1979. The father-daughter relationship: Past, present, and future. In Becoming female (pp. 89-112). Springer, Boston, MA.
• Maine, M., 2010. Father hunger: Fathers, daughters, and the pursuit of thinness. Gurze Books.
• Nielsen, L., 2019. Father-daughter relationships: Contemporary research and issues. Routledge.
• Sağkal, A.S., Özdemir, Y. and Koruklu, N., 2018. Direct and indirect effects of father-daughter relationship on adolescent girls’ psychological outcomes: The role of basic psychological need satisfaction. Journal of adolescence, 68, pp.32-39.
• Zia, A., Malik, A.A. and Ali, S.M., 2015. Father and daughter relationship and its impact on daughter’s self-esteem and academic achievement. Academic journal of interdisciplinary studies, 4(1), p.311.

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