In urban speak, the common term is “Daddy’s Girl” and for boys, it’s usually “Mummy’s Boy”, both usually said with a cocktail of affection and resignation. These cliches are no accidents and I think a lot of it has to do with the different dynamics that exist.
As my baby girl is about to hit her 5th year milestone, I have gotten to witness this phenomenon first-hand, and the ride has been pretty funny and exasperating by turns. It has also made me appreciate my own Daddy more.
Fact is, little girls will always have a special place in Daddy’s hearts, and I like to think, vice versa.
These are the little precious ways my husband loves our baby girl.
He always makes time for her
No matter what he’s doing, or how late he’s already running, there’s always time for one (or more) goodbye kiss and hug.
My husband is a huge wrestling fan, and when his favourite program is on, death couldn’t pull his eyes away from the screen. But a ‘miracle’ happened when our little worm one day decided that Daddy needed to play tea party with her and the other “guests” (her dolls). He heaved a huge sigh, hauled himself out of his terribly comfortable couch and settled down to a girly tea party for a good ten minutes.
Aww.
He will always be her giant
No matter what size your man might be, he will always be her giant. From rides on his shoulders to shriek-inducing throws up in the air, our little girl knows who to look for when she needs some muscle action.
He will always be her most possessive first boyfriend
My husband thinks that our little girl should start dating when she’s 30. Recently, she got a cute little note from her classmate who also happens to be a boy – the husband has been giving him squinty-eyed glares ever since.
When I decided that she would need to get her own room soon instead of co-sleeping with us, because I was worried about over-dependency, I realised I was worrying about the wrong person when he exclaimed: “What! I will miss her. Never mind, maybe I will sleep on the floor in her room.”
They are kindred spirits
I love my daughter to bits, and I am still probably her favourite parent (or so she says, but these little ones can be sneaky). But my husband and her operate on a different level of connection. He seems to get her without having to reason or think it through. He gets why she is really throwing a tantrum over a wet towel, or why she has certain strong preferences for the way the bed is made. While I am wringing my hands in bafflement over some of the things she does, he instantly gets her inner workings without having to ask.
They also share the same love for the same types of music, dancing, food and movies – making them bosom pals for life!
Daddy never judges
This one I know from personal experience with my own Dad, and I expect it will be the same when she comes of age. When I was growing up, especially in my adolescent years, if I did something I knew had been explicitly forbidden but had gone ahead and done it anyway, and then needed someone to get me out of my mess, I always knew I could turn to my Daddy without fear of judgment or criticisms.
That is not to say he wouldn’t give me advice or issue strong warnings against a certain course of actions, but Daddies are just generally men of fewer words and tend to act constructively to clear up the mess more than Mums.
As it is, my husband is already more prone to excusing small transgressions (to many eyeballs rolling on my part) and leaving the disciplining largely to me. When she goes to him all teary-eyed after a scolding, she gets a cuddle until her face lights back up again with a smile.
She mothers him
Father-daughter relationships are not a one-way street. Daddy’s girls often mother their dads right back, especially the bossier ones.
If you have seen a pint-sized toddler mothering her much bigger-sized Dad, you will realise these moments are one of the funniest, yet most endearing moments.
Sometimes, he puts his head on her lap and she sings to him while patting his arm. Other times, when he does something silly to make her laugh, you can hear that almost patronizing yet affectionate undertone of her laughter.
Just as Daddy always protects her, she will protect him, in her own tiny way.
He will always be her knight in shining armour
With Daddy around, little girls learn to spread their wings and soar without fear
When the little girl falls down, Daddy is always the first on the scene. When she has a nightmare, Daddy is the one who soothes her right back to sleep. When she wants an ice-cream, nothing short of hell freezing over would stop Daddy from making sure she gets one, no matter how inconvenient it might be for him.
I like to think that even after marriage, our husbands might take on the role of protector, but our Daddies will always be the original knight in shining armour. And if the hubby doesn’t step up, us Daddy’s girls always know that we can always call on our original champions to keep the husband in line!
Daddies have a special way of doting on their daughters and they dote on their Dads right back. They are best friends, silly companions and mutual protectors all at once.
As a Mum and daughter myself, I would not have it any other way.
What else do you find special about the relationship between your husband and your daughter? Let us know in your comments below!