A Shoutout to Girl Dads

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girl dadAfter the tragic deaths of Kobe and Gianna Bryant, ESPN reporter Elle Duncan shared a story about Kobe and how he loved being a Girl Dad. (If you haven’t seen the video you can check it out here).

As the #girldad movement took over social media shortly after the release of the video, I read countless posts and watched video after video of dads sharing why being a Girl Dad is the best. Each of them filled me with a sense of gratitude and hopefulness for the girls of today who will become the women of tomorrow.

Full disclosure: I am the daughter of a Girl Dad and am now the wife of a Girl Dad. These dads personify what being a Girl Dad is all about. As I reflected on fathers I know who have daughters, I began to notice the things they do that make them great Girl Dads.

As a way to thank all the Girl Dads out there, here’s what makes them so very special.

Girl Dads embrace the things their girls love

As a girl goes from little to bigger to almost full-grown, the things she loves can change as quickly as Iowa weather. Girl Dads embrace the tea parties with all the frills and sparkle a two-year-old brings. They will sit in impossibly small chairs and drink out of cups the size of thimbles, with their pinkies up since that is the “fancy” way.  

Just as dads start to get the hang of planning a top-notch tea party, their daughter’s attention turns to something new. Girl Dads embrace the change with a tinge of sadness as they watch their girl grow. Soon that girl dad will become a master in creating the best slime on the block and her favorite TikTok cameraman. 

Girl Dads support their girl’s ambitions

It starts with driving to weekly practices and watching as their daughter learns a new sport, skill, or hobby. As time goes on, a Girl Dad may find themselves spending hours in the driveway helping their girl practice their jump shot, reading all the Harry Potter books or going to Justice for what feels like the millionth time.

A Girl Dad will work tirelessly on their daughter’s class president campaign posters. He will spend an entire Saturday selling Girl Scout cookies or helping them memorize lines for the school play. This support doesn’t change once their girl is grown. It just changes focus as time goes by.

Daughters of Girl Dads know they will always have their dad by their side. When something becomes important to them, it becomes important to their dad too.  

Girl Dads believe girls can do anything

Perhaps the most important trait a Girl Dad possesses is his belief his daughter can do anything she sets her mind to. Girl Dads tell their daughter, in action and words, that nothing is impossible for her. He works tirelessly to ensure his daughter believes in herself and works hard to accomplish her dreams.  He picks her up when she falls, cheers her on as she succeeds and doesn’t miss anything in between. The Girl Dads I know feel ANY girl, not just their girl, can achieve great things.

Thank you to all the Girl Dads out there who make their daughters feel special and powerful every day.

Thank you for supporting her in all she sets out to do. For loving her unconditionally. Thank you for supporting all girls and knowing girls can make the world a better place each and every day. 

What’s your favorite #girldad trait?

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