I have a special post for you all today! K is here to share what it’s like to be a girl dad. Before I let him take over, I just have to say that he is THE BEST girl dad I know. He plays dress up and princesses with Little A, he cuddles and reads girly books, and he’s all about the pink. He’s tender and sweet and a great role model for her.
So without further ado.
Pink? check. Fluffyness? Check. Princesses? Check. Dresses? Check. Barbies, dolls, girly everything? Check. Crippling panic/anxiety directly related to knowing nothing about these things? Check.
I am a girl dad. That sounds weird. Said another way, I am my daddy’s girl’s dad. There, that’s less confusing. 🙂 Now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s begin: “You’re having a girl!”, the ultrasound technician exclaims. And now we Tarantino this bad mama jama and go back.
Tiffany and I were positive we were having a boy. “Why,” you might ask? Great question Reader, let me tell you: First off, someone said it’s the man that dictates the sex of the baby. From the standpoint of common sense and/or logic, this makes no sense at all and I should have rejected this claim immediately. That being said, this whole miracle of life thing was quite new to me and with no evidence to the contrary, I went along with it.
Now, you have to understand that once I think I’ve resolved an issue or situation in my mind, I move forward under that presumption without looking back. I moved rapidly from, “We’re pregnant” (Yes, my fingers are in the air making quotation marks) to weighing the pro’s and con’s of different sports to enroll him in, to “Why don’t they carry more baby boy clothes at the store” to the kicker of, “Thank God I don’t have to deal with raising a teenage girl”…
As you can imagine and have probably experienced, the Universe has a knack for dealing with predictive certainty in your mind. Predictive certainty is literally something I just made up, but suffice to say it means that when you think you have it all figured out, you would be wise to expect Life to toss you a curveball (metaphor for Adversity). Yes, I’m getting to the point, have I mentioned I get distracted easily?
So there we were, sitting in the room being mesmerized by what looks like a time-warp through space on the ultrasound display when the specialist gives us the news. It’s a girl! Back to the drawing board we go!
Truthfully, Little A has been a true blessing and brought so much joy to our lives. She amazes us each and every day and has shown us what it truly means to love.
As such, here are my 8 favorite things about being a “girl dad”.
- You are a Princess. Or a Prince…or dog, or just about anything else she needs you to be while playing together. And guess what? You’ll love it! Kids are so creative and imaginative; we can all take a page from them and let our minds see all of the opportunities and possibilities in life.
- You get to party. You probably thought those days were over, didn’t you? Wrong! You’ll party more than you ever thought possible! The difference? You’ll be swapping out the wine coolers & Bud Lights for a robust set of table manners and tiaras…It’s time for a tea party:-)! Please note: It is very important to follow appropriate tea time protocol (typically involving multiple stuffed animals and wardrobe changes) and, of course, to be a gracious guest!
- You learn every Disney princesses name. I could elaborate, but I feel like you all understand what I’m talking about here.
- You realize the true value of PBS. Now this one isn’t specific to girls, but I just have to tell you that PBS Kids is probably the best station in the world. Great content and life lessons for kids and parents alike!
- You finally learn how to brush hair. Yes, Gentlemen, there is a whole systematic approach and respective process for detangling that mop they develop over the course of a day, or night. I swear, David Blaine couldn’t Houdini out of the mess that is A’s hair when she wakes up in the morning. But, with the right brush and some detangler (God Bless you Suave!), you’ll manage just fine.
- And color coordinate an outfit. “That’s what you put her in huh?” This phrase has become less common in our household since I’ve begun solving the girly-color-matching puzzle of A’s clothing. Kid’s are cute in anything right? Yes, I agree too, but APPARENTLY yellow rain boots with a pink shirt and white tights and a blue tutu with a purple sweater is NOT okay. As I hone my skills in the complementary color world, Tiffany has given me more opportunities (along with a little grace) to pick out the duds for the day :).
- You can fix literally everything. “Daddy can fix it!” Best. Words. Ever. She truly believes that no matter what happens, Daddy can fix it. Beit with kisses, magic, super glue, you name it, you can fix just about anything in your little girl’s world.
- It’s okay to sing Taylor Swift at the top of your lungs. Or anything on the radio for that matter…especially in your car. You have a great excuse for doing so right in the back seat, but secretly, you love it!
[Tweet “Being a girl dad: You can fix literally everything. “Daddy can fix it!” Best. Words. Ever. “]
For me, being a dad to our little girl is pretty much the best thing in the world and I am so fortunate to be loved by my sweet little princess. Their smiles and laughter make all the troubles of the world disappear and their hugs will cure any heartache.
Baby girl, you are a beautiful, talented, funny and sweet little girl and I will try every day to make you proud and prepare you for life. I love you! – Daddy
Awwww!!! So sweet how he was sure he was having a boy, and embraced having a girl! Having a girl is one of my deepest fears… Not a little girl, but a teenage girl. So obvi we’ll have one at some point! I hope hubs embraces it just like yours did.
Oh my gosh – I literally got the chills reading this!! Absolutely adore this post! There is no doubt that little A is truly blessed to have a dad like you! xo, Biana –BlovedBoston
Swoon!
As a daughter of a “girl daddy” of 4, I can say that girl dads are the absolute BEST.
K, I can picture you even saying these things! You’re a great writer too. This was so fun to read – you are such a great father and I love how Little A adores you. You and Tiffany are such great parents!
And I was cracking up – the tea parties, learning how to color coordinate an outfit. Hilarious.
This is sooo precious, I can only imagine how much your heart melts watching them Tiffany. Loved reading this <3
Aww… There isn’t many things sweeter in life, than a girl and her Daddy! 🙂
This is just too precious.
liz @ sundays with sophie
I’m totally stealing “predictive certainty,” and will begin using it at every opportunity. 🙂
These are the best kinds of posts because it shows how much fun it is to let go and just enjoy your kids. Little A is a very lucky little girl.
Oh come on!!!! This is the sweetest!!!
LOVE THIS SO MUCH! I feel as if my husband could have written it. Girl dads are seriously the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So sweet! We have 3 girls and one boy in our family and my husband knows well that you better play whatever role the girls want you to. He makes a pretty good prince, villain and a wart hog? Not sure why they picked that specific animal the other night.
Awww, this was super sweet. I just love all the points. Tea parties and Mr. Fix It…. so lovely.
Thanks for taking the time to share. Little A is bless to have you and Tiffany as parents.
Have a lovely evening.
Aw! This was so sweet and fun. My husband had three sisters and now we have two girls. I adore watching him interact with them and they are smitten with their daddy. It melts my heart to see them flip out when he gets home from work. Great dads are blessings! Great guest post! 🙂
Aww this was so sweet/fun to read! What a great dad– and little a is just so cute! You have one wonderful family!
Our second baby was just born five months ago and she is a GIRL. My husband is excited beyond words. Our little boy is such a mama’s boy and we’re hoping our newest family member will become a daddy’s girl.
Daddy’s girls really are awesome. I’m hoping she’ll have a great relationship with both of us, but I was a daddy’s girl so I’m sure her and the hubs will be close. 🙂
This is so sweet! We have three girls so my husband can relate!