{by Michael Mitchell}<\/p>\n
I was in tears as I read through this list, as I\u2019m sure many grown daughters will be. Mothers \u2014 bookmark this list of rules and encourage your daughter\u2019s daddy to read them, memorize them, and put them in to action. And, to all you Dads out there \u2014 be sure you pay close attention and heed these wise words.<\/p>\n
1. Love her mom. Treat her mother with respect, honor, and a big heaping spoonful of public displays of affection. When she grows up, the odds are good she\u2019ll fall in love with and marry someone who treats her much like you treated her mother. Good or bad, that\u2019s just the way it is. I\u2019d prefer good.<\/p>\n
2. Always be there. Quality time doesn\u2019t happen without quantity time. Hang out together for no other reason than just to be in each other\u2019s presence. Be genuinely interested in the things that interest her. She needs her dad to be involved in her life at every stage. Don\u2019t just sit idly by while she add years to her\u2026 add life to her years.<\/p>\n
3. Save the day. She\u2019ll grow up looking for a hero. It might as well be you. She\u2019ll need you to come through for her over and over again throughout her life. Rise to the occasion. Red cape and blue tights optional.<\/p>\n
4. Savor every moment you have together. Today she\u2019s crawling around the house in diapers, tomorrow you\u2019re handing her the keys to the car, and before you know it, you\u2019re walking her down the aisle. Some day soon, hanging out with her old man won\u2019t be the bees knees anymore. Life happens pretty fast. You better cherish it while you can.<\/p>\n
5. Pray for her. Regularly. Passionately. Continually.<\/p>\n
6. Buy her a glove and teach her to throw a baseball. Make her proud to throw like a girl\u2026 a girl with a wicked slider.<\/p>\n
7. She will fight with her mother. Choose sides wisely.<\/p>\n
8. Go ahead. Buy her those pearls.<\/p>\n
9. Of course you look silly playing peek-a-boo. You should play anyway.<\/p>\n
10. Enjoy the wonder of bath time.<\/p>\n
11. There will come a day when she asks for a puppy. Don\u2019t over think it. At least one time in her life, just say, \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
12. It\u2019s never too early to start teaching her about money. She will still probably suck you dry as a teenager\u2026 and on her wedding day.<\/p>\n
13. Make pancakes in the shape of her age for breakfast on her birthday. In a pinch, donuts with pink sprinkles and a candle will suffice.<\/p>\n
14. Buy her a pair of Chucks as soon as she starts walking. She won\u2019t always want to wear matching shoes with her old man.<\/p>\n
Photo Credit :: Danielle Rocke Toews<\/p>\n
15. Dance with her. Start when she\u2019s a little girl or even when she\u2019s a baby. Don\u2019t wait \u2018til her wedding day.<\/p>\n
16. Take her fishing. She will probably squirm more than the worm on your hook. That\u2019s OK.<\/p>\n
17. Learn to say no. She may pitch a fit today, but someday you\u2019ll both be glad you stuck to your guns.<\/p>\n
18. Tell her she\u2019s beautiful. Say it over and over again. Someday an animated movie or \u201cbeauty\u201d magazine will try to convince her otherwise.<\/p>\n
19. Teach her to change a flat. A tire without air need not be a major panic inducing event in her life. She\u2019ll still call you crying the first time it happens.<\/p>\n
20. Take her camping. Immerse her in the great outdoors. Watch her eyes fill with wonder the first time she sees the beauty of wide open spaces. Leave the iPod at home.<\/p>\n
21. Let her hold the wheel. She will always remember when daddy let her drive.<\/p>\n
22. She\u2019s as smart as any boy. Make sure she knows that.<\/p>\n
23. When she learns to give kisses, she will want to plant them all over your face. Encourage this practice.<\/p>\n
24. Knowing how to eat sunflower seeds correctly will not help her get into a good college. Teach her anyway.<\/p>\n
25. Letting her ride on your shoulders is pure magic. Do it now while you have a strong back and she\u2019s still tiny.<\/p>\n
26. It is in her nature to make music. It\u2019s up to you to introduce her to the joy of socks on a wooden floor.<\/p>\n
27. If there\u2019s a splash park near your home, take her there often. She will be drawn to the water like a duck to a puddle.<\/p>\n
28. She will eagerly await your return home from work in the evenings. Don\u2019t be late.<\/p>\n
29. If her mom enrolls her in swim lessons, make sure you get in the pool too. Don\u2019t be intimidated if there are no other dads there. It\u2019s their loss.<\/p>\n
30. Never miss her birthday. In ten years she won\u2019t remember the present you gave her. She will remember if you weren\u2019t there.<\/p>\n
31. Teach her to roller skate. Watch her confidence soar.<\/p>\n
32. Let her roll around in the grass. It\u2019s good for her soul. It\u2019s not bad for yours either.<\/p>\n
33. Take her swimsuit shopping. Don\u2019t be afraid to veto some of her choices, but resist the urge to buy her full-body beach pajamas.<\/p>\n
34. Somewhere between the time she turns three and her sixth birthday, the odds are good that she will ask you to marry her. Let her down gently.<\/p>\n
35. She\u2019ll probably want to crawl in bed with you after a nightmare. This is a good thing.<\/p>\n
36. Few things in life are more comforting to a crying little girl than her father\u2019s hand. Never forget this.<\/p>\n
37. Introduce her to the swings at your local park. She\u2019ll squeal for you to push her higher and faster. Her definition of \u201chigher and faster\u201d is probably not the same as yours. Keep that in mind.<\/p>\n
38. When she\u2019s a bit older, your definition of higher and faster will be a lot closer to hers. When that day comes, go ahead\u2026 give it all you\u2019ve got.<\/p>\n
39. Holding her upside down by the legs while she giggles and screams uncontrollably is great for your biceps. WARNING: She has no concept of muscle fatigue.<\/p>\n
40. She might ask you to buy her a pony on her birthday. Unless you live on a farm, do not buy her a pony on her birthday. It\u2019s OK to rent one though.<\/p>\n
41. Take it easy on the presents for her birthday and Christmas. Instead, give her the gift of experiences you can share together.<\/p>\n
42. Let her know she can always come home. No matter what.<\/p>\n
43. Remember, just like a butterfly, she too will spread her wings and fly some day. Enjoy her caterpillar years.<\/p>\n
44. Write her a handwritten letter every year on her birthday. Give them to her when she goes off to college, becomes a mother herself, or when you think she needs them most.<\/p>\n
45. Learn to trust her. Gradually give her more freedom as she gets older. She will rise to the expectations you set for her.<\/p>\n
46. When in doubt, trust your heart. She already does.<\/p>\n
47. When your teenage daughter is upset, learning when to engage and when to back off will add years to YOUR life. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.<\/p>\n
48. Ice cream covers over a multitude of sins. Know her favorite flavor.<\/p>\n
49. This day is coming soon. There\u2019s nothing you can do to be ready for it. The sooner you accept this fact, the easier it will be.<\/p>\n
50. Today she\u2019s walking down the driveway to get on the school bus. Tomorrow she\u2019s going off to college. Don\u2019t blink.<\/p>\n
About Michael
\n Michael Mitchell is an (almost) thirty-something dad who blogs daily tips and life lessons for dads of daughters at lifetoheryears.com. He spends his days practicing the arts of fatherhood and husbandry, while attempting to be a man of God and a professional raiser of philanthropic funds. On the rare occasion he\u2019s not tied up with the aforementioned and other pursuits of awesomeness, he enjoys fighting street gangs for local charities and drinking from a cup that\u2019s half full. Bookmark Life To Her Years, follow Michael on Twitter, and \u201clike\u201d him on Facebook for more \u201crules\u201d.<\/p>\n
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