For those with daughters...

and those who want to understand women better. Last night I finished a book I'm going to recommend to anyone who now has or may have daughter(s). The book, by Meg Meeker, was Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: 10 Secrets Every Father Should Know, I think the part about 10 secrets makes it sound gimmicky but don't let that discourage you. You can even get an excerpt here if you want to read some without buying it, or just use your local library like I did.


As far as the book itself... it was a very compelling read. The author draws on twenty plus years as a medical doctor to give you a health shot of nightmare fuel. She tells stories that will make you want to find a rusty dull knife that will come in handy so you can be whittling with it on your front porch when your daughter's dates come over, making sure he gets a good look at it. The gist of the book is that fathers underestimate their importance in the lives of their daughters. The good news is that after see tries to make you wet yourself thinking about your daughter's future, she also does a nice job talking you back from the ledge.

The best part of the book is that she focuses on straight talk and doesn't care about trends, or political correctness, or any of that stuff. She wants fathers to do everything in their power to keep their daughter healthy and safe and she doesn't sugar coat anything. She wants dads to know the hard work ahead, and to understand the rewards. She does a good job of explaining the difference in male and female psychology... so you might have a better idea why it sometimes seems every woman you've ever know is at least a little bit crazy (no offense ladies). I kind of wish I had read this while I was still dating even so I would have better understood the pressures that women feel. She really puts the emphasis on being a good dad through... establishing a structure of rules/expectations, consistent enforcement, and the (and this is a real shocker) spending time with your daughter. A novel approach, right?

Meeker takes a pretty conservative viewpoint on a lot of things, so not everyone will love all her ideas. You might be rubbed the wrong way if you're into feminism or way into political correctness, as these are things she feels do not always best serve your daughter. I feel the book is well done, and has ideas I think everyone would find useful even if you don't agree with everything she says. The book is also a really quick read, so I think it is well worth the time invested in the reading.