Are fathers really all that important to children? Especially daughters? Why?

Win.	Walk you down the isle.

lol	its your dad, very important even if in not all aspects in life. one that the daughter can feel neglected that shes not good enough to see her dad. end up hating men cause she'll feel that they were abandoned. someone that "created" them as u say doesnt even want them. not saying this is the answer in all sitautions, im sure some ppl it has no effect on and others a lot bigger effect on, you cant tell. not a smart idea to just leave any of your children pretty messed up if you ask me messed up a lot of people i know when that happens

T.J.'s Girl	they "set the bar" so to speak in the standards, and qualities that the girl may later look for in a man in her life. not true in a lot of cases, but some

LUV U PEOPLE!	Depends on the father. If he is a kind, sweet man then he is important to his children because he loves them and is a good role model. Having a mother and a father is important because a child can learn from both parents. Fathers teach daughters some things that mothers can't. I know my dad taught me to be independent and how to pick out the bad boys.

stephanie	me personally i hate my dad!! but hey that's juss me he only cares about us not spending money and is always threatening to beat me even though I'm 13!

celticbuddha	fathers are just as important to a child's upbringing and well being as a mother. fathers are especially important to daughters since they are the daughter's first example and experience of the whole male world. fathers have a lot of wisdom and guidance to bestow upon a daughter in many areas when dealing with males. too many men underestimate their importance in a child's life. and it's sad, because that means there's even more children growing up without 50% of what they are needing.

JuicyCouture<3	of course they are, wouldn't you love to have a father to help teach you things? Sure a mom can tickle her little girl but not like her father. sure a mom can bring her child swimming but she won't have as much fun as she would with her father. she could be known as mommys little girl but it doesn't sound as good as DADDY'S little girl. I don't know how I would live without my father- he's my everything, he teaches me lessons the right way, he's the one who's there when mom can't make it, he's my dad. I love him. He understands sometimes better than a "mother" would.

hh	a father is important in a child's life, unless the father does more harm than good (ie, alcoholic, drug addict, abusive). my dad is one of the most important people in my life, and i couldn't imagine it without him. if the biological father cannot be around, then a step father, uncle, or other trusted father figure can fill that role in a child's life. i've known kids who grew up fine without a dad. but i'm sure if they had a healthy father figure, they wouldn't have said, "i would have been better off without that man in my life!"

Jane	How can you ask that question? My father passed away when I was 21 and I still miss him. He was the one who took us to parks where I now share the love of nature like he did. He knew what my favorite fruits were and saved it for me when I came home. Everytime I eat a slice of pineapple, it makes me cry because it reminds me of him. He was there for me when mom and others weren't there for me and vice versa for my mom. Listen to the song, "Dance With My Father" by Luther Vandross. I could never listen to that song w/o shedding one tear.

Wannabe	Fathers are important to both sons and daughters, daughters especially because they choose men in their life based on what their father is like. If the father is a bad role model, one might say it would be better if he wasnt around at all, then kids end up feeling abandoned, and wonder why their father didnt love them and accept them.

Em Diggity	In my opinion, fathers and mothers balance each other. Mothers teach a child how to nurture, while fathers teach how to lead and stand on your own. For a daughter, the mother would teach her how to love others while the father would teach her how to take charge of life and to set her goals high. That's just how it was for me anyway. I think that one parent could do both, but it wouldn't be easy

Me! ^^	No. Not to me. I'm a guy, and my dad was a relatively abusive parent. He is not important to me. I guess to other people they may be--as protectors, sources of money, friends, etc. Obviously fathers are important to some people, though. There's an entire day dedicated to them. And the fact that they gave their children life could also play a major role in importance to children.

Jess	Without a dad you dont know who your looking for (special some).. unfortunate girls who dont have fathers tend to have more of a need for men, and they go for the wrong men..

You Asked	I never had a dad. Let me tell you about my life deprived of a mans attention and how I tried to get it.

WHIPOW	heck yes!!!!!! i love my dad. hes there 4 me 24/7. without him, i would shrivvle up and die.

SueS	Daughters sometimes look at their dad as a hero. He protects them, takes care of them. Children who have a loving, good father are very fortunate. And yes, he is a very important part of the family unit.

missingora	My father wasn't just important; he was vital to me because my mother died when I was a baby. It was from him that I learned most about proper behavior, social skills, the desire to do the best I could in school, and of course he was there to put me back on the right trail when I fell off in a ditch. He taught me honesty, loyalty, trustworthiness, and how to ride a bike. We fished, boated on the rivers, hunted rabbits, squirrels, racoons and deer. A little girl should have a daddy who was a good man; one who treated others fairly; one who wouldn't settle for less than the best. My daddy was all that and more. We camped and took motorcycle trips. He told me, "you may be defeated but never surrender." I never have. We layed in the summer grass and he taught me about the stars and the moon and the various constellations. We watched the Northern Lights dance across the sky. I was lucky to have him for 62 years. Every child should be so lucky to have a daddy like mine. And so, throughout my life I've lived by these words from the Lord. "Unto whom much is given, much is required."

mjaybee	The fact that you are asking this question shows what a sad state America is in. Stay single, all you young men out there. No one cares for fathers, especially the family court!

Right Wing Extremist	Yes it affects their future relationship with men

Hershey	yes because they discipline children and without a father they wouldn't have a good future and can lead to bad lives

Corrupt	Of course they are. Fathers are parents just as Mothers are. Not that it isn't ok for a single parent to raise a child but if there are two parents in the child's life, they both have an equal part. I think that daughters are very important to Fathers too. I'm the oldest of three girls and I'm our Father's boy.

Integrity	Yes, a father figure is just as important. They require emotional support, and girls can ask there father the strangest questions about boys when they grow up and start dating....Plus a lot of girls look for a bf to be that similar to there fathers as they set an important role in there lives.......

antswife	It provides kids with a good balance and family structure. Active fathers show daughters their 1st look t men and relationships.

taken	My husband is my daughters world, anything he likes she likes anything he does is awesome. Dad's are extremely important.

Skull Boy	Show me a woman who has trouble with male relationships and I'll show you a person who never bonded with her father. Show me a man who is a wuss and i'll show you a man who didn't bond with his father. I hate to generalize, because there are plenty of exceptions to the rule, but children develop serious emotional issues when they lack a strong adult male figure in their lives. Studies have shown this over and over.

Tasigurl	Cheers to you real grave. This question make me so sad.

Nikki	Yes, they're there to protect you and make you a stronger person ya know..

Haley L	idk cuz i never had a mom or dad

Ernie	Yes they are vital to children. They provide the male role model for the child. Kids love their dads and want to be like them and for girls they often measure every other guy they know up to the dad.