Raising Daughters
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Activites to do with young daughters
- Take them on a bike ride. Or, if you have young daughters like I do, walk and push them on their bike.
- Read your daughters a book. This is trickier than it sounds, because you have to be careful or they'll pick books that are as long as Gone With The Wind:)
- Take them to the gym. On some Saturdays I'll take Georgia and Julia to an old school basketball gym in San Francisco and let them dribble around while I play pick up games. In between games I'll play catch and teach them how to dribble.
- Go to the bakery. Both my daughters love going to the bakery. I suspect Lila will as well when she's a bit older and eats real food.
- Take your kids to school. Since we moved out of San Francisco, I've been taking Georgia to school on BART. Three days a week she sits in my lap, drinks hot chocolate on BART, and reads books as we ride the train to school. It's been a great bonding experience for both of us
A Parent to Daughters
Robin and I recently had our third daughter, Lila. She's been an remarkabley easy infant. Just two difficult nights, the rest have been very easy. I wonder if we are better at taking care of an infant or if she's just easier. Probably a little of both.
Now that we have three daughters, and even though they are young, it's easy to see how different they are from eachother. Georgia is reserved and cautious, Julia is a character and hilarious and Lila is calm and serene.
I never expected to have daughters. Before we had Georgia I was pretty sure it was impossible to have girl since I was one of six boys. Plus, I thought what would I do with a girl. But, now that I have them, I can't imagine what I'd do without them.
My friends will say it's easy now, but wait until they are teenagers. So, this is the point of my hub. This is my plan to raise my daughters.
1. When they are young to be active in their lives and teach them to be good people.
2. When they are pre teen to be active in their lives and instill values of education, frugalness, honesty, hardwork and compassion.
3. When they are teenagers to be active in their lives and address issues of sex, and drugs or anything that can be uncomfortable for fathers with daughters straight on. To make discussing these things normal and hopefully comfortable for them.
4. When they are in college and beyond to be active in their lives and provide them opportunities. Opportunities for higher education. And. Support and compassion to let them become the people they want to be.
My Rules for My Daughters
This is still a work in progress, and perhaps a bit unorthodoxed.
1. You don't have to eat your dinner, but you can't complain.
2. If you're bad, I'll spank your sister (just kidding we don't spank, but you should see Georgia's face when I told her this)
3. No baby talk.
Just a glimpse of Julia
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Comments
Paul this is a wonderful hub. Great insights and suggestions. Gave me a few good laughs also.
Great to see such bonding - some parents could take a leaf out of your book or hub !!
Wonderful hub. Your daughters are beautiful and that video of Julia is adorable. They are very lucky to have you as their dad :)
Great hub, thanks for sharing with us. I loved your rules :D and I also use them with my daughter except for the #2 because she is still our only child LOL. It´s really fun to participate in our kid´s activities ;)
Paul Edmondson! I envy you I have only sons. I could feel the aroma of affection all over your Hubpage seeing your nice daughters in action.
Love to these loving daughters, Paul Edmondson! Thanks
This is great. I share your rule of no baby talk. We save that for the dog.
Beautiful kids, Paul! I wish you luck in implementing your parenting plan. My own experience suggests that once high school begins, it's a whole new ball game!
Another great article Paul. Stick to your program of raising daughters but the hard part lies ahead. Like mr says, it is a new ball game when they become teenagers but remember this, no matter what happens during those high school years, "you and they will get through it" Love will see to that. Good luck.
PAUL,
I am so glad you published this it makes me think of my two daughters and how beautiful they were when they were little and how much changed over time. They are still the best and in my heart they will always be the two most beautiful girls on the face of the earth.
Wow, three daughters. Thats a lot of girls in the house. Are you and guys going to have any more? Going to try for a boy?
Thankyou Paul for sharing a little slice of your family life, your children are lovely,
you and Robin have been blessed and you have a wonderful future instore with your 3 girls, enjoy this time and every change.
take care ......jimmy
p.s it's about time you gave us a new hub lol, what kept you?
Paul, sounds like an excellent plan. Being active parents is so important. My brother's girlfriend has parents who are very active in her life (my bro and his gf are high school students). My mom complains about how "strict" the gf's parents are, but I am impressed by how much they know about their daughter's life. She does well in school and doesn't get into trouble. On the other hand, my brother hasn't had much guidance and, while he is a great person, he had definitely gotten into some serious trouble.
Have fun with your girls!
One thing I learned from my father is that there is no substitute for spending time with your children. Like he says when we misbehave, "I must not be spending enough time with you."
Paul, thank you for sharing! That video is outrageously cute :) I have three little girls too, and althogh I worry about the teen years, I think your plan is great. Staying connected to your kids in a positive way is really the only path that I can see working!
Paul, I, of course, loved hyour hub, and it made me think of myself when I had little children. Many people told me then things like, "Just wait until they are teemagers!" Or, "If you thing it is hard now, high school will be a nightmare." The comment I most appreciated, however, was given to me by a woman I did not know at the Laurel Lane Shopping Center in San Luis. As I was putting more than one young child into our Volkswagon Squareback, she said something like (and this was not facetious), "Aren't children a wonderful gift!" And then she added, "And it will always remain so." She had no dire warning about the future. Since I am in my 60s now, remembering that woman, I sometimes giver positive remarks to young parents.
Surely, I have ached, as all parents, for the difficulties in my children's adult lives, but their presence is still a gift to teach me, to allow me to feel for them, and to be a support in their lives. And I enjoy them so much!
Paul an awesome hub. Wow! time flies by fast. I could have sworn that it was yesterday that we were congratulating Robin and you on the birth of the littlest sproutlette. I was involved in the lives of my three and kept them busy and loved them and then loved them some more...
You have the right idea and I wish you and Robin the best of luck with those little beauties.
warmest regards to You, Robin and Cherubs Zsuzsy
wow great suggestions, yep kids of the same parent can be really different as observed by me too in my family. it's so sweet, if you're bad, i'll spank sister. hehe i should try that out with my son too. thanks again for the hub.
Wonderful Hub. It appears as though you have a system of being involved with your daughter's lives, which will greatly bless all of you throughout your lives.
I too raised three daughters and have six grand daughters, as of just a week or so ago. (two sons and only one grandson as yet) Girls are magical and emotional... thus pulling out heartstrings every step of the way:-)
I have always loved the old saying... "A son is a son till he marries him a wife, but a daughter is a daughter for the rest of your life"!
I believe this statement to be true in most cases. Each of my three daughters who are now raised, and raising thier own little ones - are my best friends:-)
This is the icing on the cake. I love the completion of raising these daughters, through all that goes with having children - to now knowing them as the most wonderful adult women.
They amaze me continually. It is a privilege to have them in my life and to be able to share in their worlds daily.
Much happiness to you and your little harem:-) Fathers have a major influence on their daughters overall wellbeing and confidence!
tMDg
LdsNana-AskMormon
Its a superb hub, one more basic thing i would like to add "teach them to see LIFE in everything", because seeing life will bring admiration, adjustment, understanding and love towards anything. when this three are there, Life is wonderful. My heartfelt cheers to you Paul. My Love to your daughters. God bless.
Excellent advice, I especially like the "I'll spank your sister" threat. That kind of peer pressure usually works pretty well. Our first is due in July. The doctor says she is a she. We're excited. Thanks for the words of wisdom.
and why not Gone With the Wind, seeing as it's the best book ever written? :)
Jerrico Usher says:
2 years ago
HOW ADORABLE is that? Nice video, and great tips on raising daughters. I raised two myself in a past relationship from birth to 9 years old (they were hers and her ex husbands). Sometimes they can give you a challenge but they are the best gift life could give you, lots of fun raising kids! Good luck with the new baby..
Jerrico