Your Daughters are Watching

I was lucky enough to be blessed with a daughter. She’s the best thing that ever happened to me. And it’s my responsibility to raise her and help mold her into the woman she will become. I’m also pretty lucky to have an ex-husband who treats me with respect. And believe me, she notices. And my dad was the epitome of what a husband should be. He and my mom definitely helped shape me into a woman who is strong and brave enough to call people out and stand up for myself when necessary.

For the most part, the single dads with daughters I have met, do a good job of setting an example of how to treat women. However, there are a few who don’t (and if any of you are reading this, pay attention because you’re about to get blog slapped). Imagine this scenario. Your daughter meets a seemingly nice guy. She spends some time with him and they really seem to connect. They spent hours talking and sharing important information about their lives. He tells her how much he likes her and that he can’t wait to see her again. She’s also thinking, “I kinda like him. He’s not really my type, a little nerdy but very sweet and I think this might work out.” They talk constantly for the next few days about how much fun they had and start planning for the next date. Then, overnight without any explanation, the communication virtually stops. She sees a social media post containing a picture of this “great guy” kissing another girl. After she calls him out on it, he tells her that he didn’t do it, someone else got into his account and then tries to make her feel bad for “jumping to conclusions” and telling him how she felt. He then tells her he doesn’t want to speak to her and blocks her from ever doing so again. Tell me, as her dad, the one man who loves her unconditionally, would you be pissed? Would you try to help her understand and reassure her that there are still good men out there? Would you have an overwhelming feeling of wanting to hunt this guy down and kick his ass? If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, you need to be damn sure that you aren’t out treating women this way. And if you find yourself being a cheater, liar, user, chauvinist, etc, I ask that you look your daughter in the eyes and imagine her all grown up, being with a man just like you. If that thought turns your stomach, or even gives you pause, then get your head out of your ass and knock it off NOW! And then pick up your damn phone, dial some numbers, send some texts, and start apologizing.