I recently got a hold of Dr. Meg Meeker’s book Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: A 30-Day Challenge (The A Group, 2012). It’s based off of Meeker’s best-selling book by the same name, and it’s geared at getting dads to invest in their daughters.
Meeker writes from a perspective that religious people of various groups can appreciate, and she goes, it seems, to an evangelical church. She offers the reader strong practical wisdom that I found helpful and challenging. For example, Meeker encourages fathers to “Go Fish” with their daughters:
Spending time in nature with your daughter accomplishes three very important things. First, it puts the two of you on more equal footing. You are not in your world and she is not in hers; rather the two of you are in unfamiliar territory. This creates a wonderful dynamic between the two of you. That is, you are a team. When you paddle a canoe smoothly in tandem, you enjoy a smooth ride on the water. When you pitch a tent, you lean on one another’s help.
This is good food for thought, especially in a day when many fathers are not tuned in. Dads, I think, need to treasure their daughters, cherish them, protect them, help preserve their sexual innocence, not be harsh with them, and generally lead them well and lovingly. Meeker offers us much sound practical guidance to help along those lines.
