(This post was written by Matt Grimes, Middle School Ministry Pastor)

My entire life I have wanted to be a dad.  More specifically I have wanted to be a dad to a son.  My ministry for so long has been focused on working with guys, so I could not wait for the day that God gave me a son on my own.  My wife, Carmen and I are expecting our first child, and last month on my birthday I got the greatest news I could have received…I was having a…little girl.  Now at first I have to admit I didn’t take it as the greatest news.  I had my heart set on a boy, but those first images of my precious little girl melt this dad’s heart and gave him the greatest birthday gift ever.  The challenge is that I now have to figure out how to raise a girl…I have some experience working with boys, but girls now that’s scary. 

The other day I was in Motherhood Maternity with my wife waiting on her to try on some clothes.  While waiting I saw a book about dads and their girls, so I picked it up and discovered a wealth of information and wisdom for raising a little girl.  It was exactly what I needed, so for the next few weeks, I want to invite you into the journey with me as I discover some critical ingredients for a health relationship with our little girls.    

There is no doubt that raising a girl really does take two parents.  She needs a mom to show her how to be a woman and a dad to show her how to be independent.  A dad’s job is to make her feel beautiful, to give her a sense of adventure, and help her to feel secure and confident.  Our relationship as daddies to our princesses is simple:  She will love her daddy and trust him completely.  Because he is her first love, her first hero, and the first man in her life.  As dad’s we have to take this roll seriously, and to do so, let’s look at some important ingredients needed for our relationship with our little princesses.

Ingredient # 1:  Be involved in her life.  It sounds so simple, but it is so important and necessary.  A princess wants her daddy to be a part of her life, she needs him.  Whether its snuggling on the couch before bed time, rocking her to sleep as a newborn, reading a bed time story, shopping with her, or being there for her first volleyball game, us dad’s have to learn how to prioritize our lives in such a way that we can be active in her life.  By doing so we teach her what a real man looks like.  This picture of what a real man looks like will be what shapes her quest for her own future spouse, so let’s paint the best picture possible.  I can’t tell you how many young ladies that I have met in my life in ministry who are broken, and hurting because their dad’s chose not to be a part of their lives.  If we want to have a healthy relationship with our little girls, we have to make it top priority, over work, friends, and hobbies, to spend time being involved in her life.  It’s not too late…I challenge you to begin to think of some specific ways this week that you can intentionally be a part of your little princesses life, regardless of her age.