55 Realizations About Women Men Had After They Became Girl Dads

Having a daughter made me more open and accepting to experiences women have, both negative and positive. I read more female-centric content in order to better understand what my daughter may encounter in life so that I can try to give the tools she might not have otherwise had. I do not think my view of women has changed much, I think my acceptance of women's world view has changed for the better. Hopefully, that makes sense.

Two daughters. For me it's caused a shift in how I view society and given me a much greater appreciation for how women and men are treated differently. Take the gender wage gap, for example. It's not that I wasn't aware of the problem, but having daughters has caused me to think a lot more about how significant such issues are and double-check myself to make sure I'm not perpetuating manufactured gender roles or stereotypes.

It hasn’t changed HOW I think about women, but it has vastly increased my perception of how women are treated. That may have happened with a son, because he would need to be raised to be respectful and fair, but I don’t have one so.... That’s true for everything though. I know I need to support her 110%, because she’s inevitably going to run into mysogony, but it’s not like any other kid would only get 80% support. It’s hard to say that anything special happened or changed when n=1.

I have 2 girls and I'm not sure I would say my view of women has changed as much as I would say it's been totally expanded. Well, I guess that is changed.

There's lots that I never really thought about that now I worry about, sympathize with, and care about.

I have three daughters ages 7, 6 and 4. I notice they get a lot more pink plastic soon to go in the landfill toys and their male cousins get more action figure types or STEM related. We try and drop hints during birthdays and Christmas but no one seems to catch on. One of their Aunts deposits money direct into their 529 plans for gifts and I think that's great.

I'm more sensitive to the discrimination, because I see how it will effect my daughter in the future. It's like I went from passively being concerned to actively concerned.

Like this- it annoys me the number of moms with sons who think they can lay claim to my daughter. I can feel the pressure that creates and how it warps expectations of your body and consent. It seems stupid and like "it's just a joke," but I can see what it does to my daughter, I can tell it effects how she feels about herself.

The other day a friend said, "What if my_daughter is her_son's first kiss? Oooh" and I kind of snapped with, "She might be his first kiss, but he won't be hers." Like back off, she's a kid, she has a lot of life to go through before that comes up. It wouldn't have bothered me before, I would have thought it's just an innocent joke, but now I see how much it effects her, and I hate it.

Yes, it has. My view of men has changed a lot too. I was selfish and driven to chase after ‘conquests’ with women before she was born. Now, I know what love is, and it has nothing to do with following my impulses. I would k**l or d*e for that kid, and my son too! Love has nothing to do with my image of myself or my image to others, my drives and temporary desires, or even my need for survival. It’s total and unconditional sacrifice for someone other than yourself without resentment or self-serving agendas.

What I see differently about women is that they want the same experience, no matter what they may think or say. What I see differently about men, is the exact same thing.

Yes. Substantially. I have much more empathy of other people’s experiences, specifically women. I think about if my daughter had to go through what others are going through. Frankly it scares me.

I’m married and I never really thought of myself as a “mans man”, but I respect and think of women entirely different. I definitely think about the women i come across as their own individual person who deserve respect, not that I have ever really thought the alternative.

My daughter has melted my heart and made me more nurturing. I do girly things with her and I love her unconditionally. When she falls I’m right there to support her. I often feel if I had a son first, I may have treated him differently. You know, he falls and I tell him to “walk it off” because he’s a boy and boys are tough.

I’m glad I have a daughter, my wife’s preggers with our second and I’d be happy with a girl.

I have two daughters, both now adults. I cannot watch any sort of crime drama involving violence towards women. My wife and daughters can, and do often; I have to leave the room.

I never realized how strong and independent you ladies are. I always had this macho ideal that us strong men should always protect the "weaker" gender. But man oh man my daughter is strong. She's the complete opposite of what I had assumed a dainty little girl would grow up to be. So strong physically and mentally with so much will to go her own way. A leader in every sense of the word, giving her opinion no matter what.Talks out problems, doesn't rush to conclusions. She's a better person already than I am and I ain't even ashamed to say it.

Don't worry tough guy dads, I still show who's boss when there's a spider around!

My wife is supremely capable and is highly successful working in a women-dominated field. Having a daughter who is more than a little like me has made me pay more attention to sexism, have a voice against it, and support the women on my teams more.

I didn’t notice the discrimination as much with my wife, but when I imagine my daughter’s future, I see it and it makes me mad.

Told her she couldn't date until she's 35 (she's 13 now). Then my wife went and messed up everything up with logic: "Don't you want her to make mistakes now when we can help her, rather than when she's an adult?"

I see more of the struggle for equality. This struggle is different than I guess I would have thought it to be . I see it as the coach of my daughters basketball team just getting the same treatment as the boys team is a struggle it’s a simple as not getting same quality uniforms or not getting some of the better practice times it’s more subtle than I expected but can be angering . I usually speak to my daughter about it and say when you see it point it out . I like to think of Hanlons Razor as often as I can . Because men can often time be poor communicators . Men expect you to fight for your share this is how men have done things as long as I have been one and I’m sure before me . So I don’t go around complaining per se but I do teach my daughter to fight for what’s hers and make sure to tell her never let that become special treatment. If your a young man and having a daughter or have a very young daughter it is a new world out there for you . But don’t think is all odds against you or her, this has brought me closer to my daughter and taught me to teach her not to be a victim but a champion for herself and to coach others to the same confidence.

Just the process of being in the room while my wife gave birth changed a lot of my views of women. The most immediate was my attitude towards periods. After seeing this living creature come screaming into the world covered in all sorts of crazy fluid and then the placenta following up, a little blood is nothing.

i dont think mine has changed too much but i think about it and i am shocked it took so long for society to change. things like letting women vote or work certain jobs. i see my girls and i see smart ambitious kids. i want them to be happy and do anything they want in life. i just dont understand how fathers saw their daughters and were ok with them growing up with no rights, no vote and not allow them to pursue their dreams.

I’m a single father with a live-in nanny. I have a boy and a girl; my son just turned seven and my daughter turns five next month.

I’m protective of both of my kids; we live in China a mom was a local. So there are issues of language, identity and all of that. I tend to focus more on those things than on the fact that my daughter is a girl, if that makes sense.

As she gets older and deal with more “adult” issues I imagine my perspective could change.

Not really except I try to see how women succeed in this male driven world and try to verbally guide my daughter into thinking of what she would like to do in the future. I want her to have a job/career that she loves. I always tell her to look around and see what other people are doing. She's 10 but I don't think it's too young to which she can at least start thinking about what she would like to do for her own income.

I would say definitely yes, my view of women and women's struggles have changed. I grew up with a brother so I never really saw or experienced the 'girl' side of life. I didn't realize there was such a difference until I had a daughter of my own.

Now that I have a daughter, I have been and am still being exposed to what I would call 'girl culture'. I've watched 'girl' TV shows with her, played Barbie dolls and other 'girl' toys with her. Taken her to 'girl' activities (dance, gymnastics) and whatnot. It's a very different experience for me and I think the exposure has made me a better person and more empathetic.

Looking back, yes, I think so.

Now I’m a bit more supportive of women’s sports and accomplishments.

I also notice women role models more for my girls.

It gives me the opportunity to be more empathetic because I can look at things from the angle “what if it was my daughter?”

I have to say, when we first found out my wife was pregnant, I was praying for a boy, but I honestly believe being a girl dad has made me into a much more, well rounded, man.

That’s just my experience.

Not the parent of girls but a teacher at girl's schools for the better part of two decades. It has certainly affected the way I talk to my boys about how they interact with people. We have talked about things that I never would have thought to talk to them about otherwise. We have conversations about consent and physical contact. We have had more conversations about respect of others and defense of others. I have also changed myself during that time. I believe I have more respect for women and count myself as a feminist.