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When They Need You Most
Dads and Daughters By Carma Haley Shoemaker
Fatherly Influence
Every father can make a huge difference in his daughter's life. A father is the first man his daughter 
knows. "With that potent position of 'first man' comes the ability to set the norm of manliness for her a norm that ultimately can be stronger than what anyone else tells her," says Joe Kelly, author of Dads and Daughters: How to Inspire, Understand and Support Your Daughter When She's Growing Up So Fast. "No girl's life will be free of problems. Whether those problems are large or small, a father's involvement can be key. That fact should underlie everything we do as fathers of daughters." Fathers influence how daughters see themselves. With a father's positive words and support, a daughter can be safe and healthy and can thrive no matter where life takes her. "A girl whose father listens to and respects her will expect her life partner to listen to her and treat her well," says Kelly. "That's why it's so important for us to show and tell our daughters that we believe they are capable of anything. Fathering a daughter with love and respect ensures she will choose people and situations that nourish her long after she's left our house. There's no greater legacy for us to leave our daughters."
The Hurdles in the Road of Fatherhood
When a man begins to father a daughter, the obstacles may seem insurmountable. According to Kelly, the hurdles spring up from father's attitudes and ideas ad the attitudes and ideas of others. Hurdle One
