There are many women whose fathers were in the home while growing up. Yet, based on your father’s love style and its impact on your life, you could be living out many of the patterns associated with being a fatherless daughter. Most of the statistics we read about fatherlessness is based on the fact that the father was absent from the home. But they don’t include the fathers who were in the home, yet totally disconnected from his children or the manner in which he interacted, engaged and demonstrated his love to his children.
Fathers come in many forms, but dads of a fatherless daughter all have a common characteristic: They fail to provide their daughters with the unconditional love and feelings of security and safety that every little girl requires. These essential requirements provide for her a positive self concept/awareness and the ability to form close relationships with men once she becomes an adult.
Over the years, I’ve heard countless stories from women who grew having relationships with their fathers, yet, they still were living out many of the fatherless daughter patterns in their lives. The reason for this is their father-daughter relationships were flawed in some way base on what we call their Daddy’s Love Styles. Daddy Love Styles are ways in which the father demonstrates love to his daughter and the impact that love style has on her life once she approaches adolescence and becomes a woman.
In our Journey to Being™ Program, we have narrowed a father’s way of demonstrating his love down to Six Daddy Love Styles:
- The Disapproving Dad
- The Dictator Dad
- The Detached Dad
- The Disabled Dad
- The Doting Dad
- The Disappearing Dad
Over the next few weeks, I will share with you the characteristics of each Daddy Love Style and how it impacts his daughter’s life and what she can do about it. Just from glancing at the list, which Love Style best describes your father? Write your answer in the comment box below. Also, be sure to share this article with your friends.
Remember, we offer hope and healing beyond fatherlessness.
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