12 Men Reveal How Having A Daughter Changed Them

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Found on AskReddit.

1. “It has made me more determined to call people out when they denigrate women.”

It hasn’t changed my view of women, but it has made me more determined to call people out when they denigrate women. “Don’t be such a girl” is my particular bugbear.

2. “It’s opened my eyes a bit to latent sexism.”

If anything it’s opened my eyes a bit to latent sexism. People will ask when my wife and I will “try for a boy” like somehow my daughter can’t do things with me that a son could.

You bet she’s going to help me in the garage when she gets a bit older. She likes cars, and ninja turtles, and princesses. Gender doesn’t have to dictate what you can do or what you can like. I just never really realized the undercurrent of that until I had a daughter.

3. “I have always held women in high esteem, but having a daughter made me realize just how differently they are treated by society.”

I have always held women in high esteem, but having a daughter made me realize just how differently they are treated by society. For example when somebody sees a little girl they always say “oh she’s so beautiful” when they see a boy they often comment on how clever he is or how physical he is. I’m guilty of this myself. In all fairness my daughter is the most beautiful creature I have ever seen…but I try to balance out my comments with insights into her physical prowess and intelligence.

I roughhouse with her cause I don’t want her to be a pushover. I get her involved with sports to broaden her physical skills (this is a stretch for me because I’m a nerd and never did sports) we play with electronics and dig for worms.

In short I want her to have a full range of experiences and get a sense of her self-worth—not just from her looks but from her abilities.

4. “It creates a bit of an internal conflict when you realize that every hot woman you see is also some other guy’s daughter.”

First it creates a bit of an internal conflict when you realize that every hot woman you see is also some other guy’s daughter.

More seriously it makes me want to ensure my daughters will have a way to support themselves and not depend on a man, that their husbands treat them with respect and as equal partners.

5. “She’s a human before she’s a woman.”

None at all. I’ve always thought of women as equals, and have never been the type to think of them as damsels in distress. I’m not into paternalism, and I treat women like agents so they behave like them. I toss my daughter up in the air like I did with my son.

I don’t worry about daughter having sex, or think of her sexuality as somehow more sacred than my son’s. If I raise her right, she’ll make good decisions and learn from her mistakes.

She’s a human before she’s a woman, and I’m not raising any princesses over here.

6. “Hypersexualized toys really REALLY piss me off a lot more now.”

I have two daughters. Hypersexualized toys really REALLY piss me off a lot more now. A lot of the toys and cartoons for girls are just totally unacceptable. If you took real women and dressed them up with the outfits from some toys and cartoons. You would be safe to assume they were one of three things; hooker, stripper, or a porn star.

But the way my view of women really changed is not by looking at my kids but my wife. I have never been so proud of someone as I was witnessing my wife give birth to our girls and seeing her as a mom. Being a parent is hard work. I am an involved, loving, open, compassionate father and husband but my wife just kicks my ass (in a good way) of being there for all of us. And for all the single moms out there, it’s cliché but I don’t know how you do it.

7. “Before children, I was guilty of saying things like ‘you throw like a girl’ and ‘you run like a girl.’”

I have 2 daughters, ages 6 and 9. Before children, I was guilty of saying things like “you throw like a girl” and “you run like a girl.” After I had children I saw this ad campaign and it really hit home just how much of a negative connotation “like a girl” is and how it shouldn’t be and I felt so bad inside thinking my kids would be made to feel bad with things like this. I help them engage in anything they want to do, dressing up, sports, making jewelry, getting into tech stuff and will never use like a girl in a negative way ever again.

8. “My instinct is to tell that little shit at my door with a hard-on to go fuck himself because it’s the only thing he’ll get to fuck tonight.”

I had a pretty good war between my protective instincts and my logic, which states I did a good job raising her. My instinct is to tell that little shit at my door with a hard-on to go fuck himself because it’s the only thing he’ll get to fuck tonight. My logic tells me to leave it alone, she’s strong, she knows how to fight (I made sure of it) and can reach me anytime if she’s in trouble, no questions asked. Yes, I know the instinct is chauvinistic.

9. “Seeing all my female friends getting unsolicited dick pics and ignorant ‘show me your boobs’ pms’ from countless tools has me terrified.”

I worry frequently for my daughter…she is 7 (just freshly 7 as of 2/21)…after seeing all my female friends getting unsolicited dick pics and ignorant “show me your boobs” pms’ from countless tools has me terrified…the Midwest is full of tools too and i have worked counseling on a LOT of my friends bc of jackasses around here…if they don’t get what they want they belittle the female to save their ego/pride…if my daughter encounters one of those i WILL set one of those tools on fire lol

10. “Shaved hairless vaginas now remind me of changing diapers.”

Shaved hairless vaginas now remind me of changing diapers.

11. “Made me realize women stop maturing around 3 or 4 years old.”

Made me realize women stop maturing around 3 or 4 years old.

12. “It’s sad that it takes having a daughter to make some men realize that women are human beings.”

It’s sad that it takes having a daughter to make some men realize that women are human beings.