Women Share Hard Truths Every Dad Needs to Know About Raising Daughters

Dads of daughters, take note: Women have taken to Reddit to explain to men how to raise girls. And the thread, which is now going viral, has some interesting insights, from the hilarious to the touching to the practical.

It all began on February 25 when u/dogidoga_100 posed the question, “Daughters of Reddit, what is something you wish your father knew about girls when you were growing up?” on r/AskReddit.

On a not-so-serious note, many women took issue with how dads do hair. User OurLadyOfTheChickens recommended, “Not to use plain rubber bands as hair ties. Fuck that hurt!” while alienflavoredslurpee said, “How to brush hair. When I was little I remember crying every morning before school because my dad would just take the brush and practically rip my scalp off.”

Puberty (both the physical and emotional aspects of it) was another big topic. “How bad periods can be,” user mehgrill noted. “My dad thinks that a period is all about blood, but never understands that I go through an awful pain while on my period.” And according to avacynangelofhope, “Sometimes, we cry… Please don’t get mad at us for feeling feelings.”

The dismissal of femininity seemed to be a common complaint that daughters had for their dads, with shinkouhyou explaining that it hurts girls when their fathers “act like feminine things are shameful or boring. Don’t be the dad who stays out in his car during his daughter’s ballet class because sitting with the dance moms is too embarrassing.”

Others want their dads to understand that daughters can be just as fun as sons. DaughterEarth said, “We like boy things too. You’re not missing out on sports and guns and dumb jokes just cause you only had daughters.” Cyanide_Kitty_101 added, “It hurts immensely when you spend more time with the neighbor’s son than your own daughter because I’m not the boy you wanted.”

User elodea pointed out an incredibly important truth about how a father-daughter bond can affect future relationships. “The way you treat your wife/girlfriend can teach how I’m supposed to expect men to treat me,” she wrote.

Not all answers were light-hearted, with some women taking the opportunity to voice serious things their fathers may not even be aware of. User OutrageousPath wrote, “If we’re avoiding a male relative’s house, take the hint! Don’t force us to go.”

Regardless of how much this advice does or does not apply to you as a parent, a useful reminder for dads of the things they may not even know they don’t know and the value of letting your kid know they can always come to you with any questions or concerns they may have.