You were excited to find out that your partner was expecting a baby girl, and you’ve always looked forward to being a father. Unfortunately, the relationship with your partner wasn’t meant to last.
Now, your ex tells you that they’d prefer it if you just quietly stepped away from your infant daughter’s life before she’s even born. Should you? Before you make that kind of decision, here’s what you need to consider:
Father-daughter bonds can help daughters thrive
For a long time, conventional wisdom said that mothers were the most important in their children’s lives – but conventional wisdom isn’t always that wise. Newer studies indicate that a strong father-daughter bond can benefit girls well into adulthood. That bond:
- Can help daughters achieve a positive body image by being unconditionally accepting and supportive of the way their daughters look
- Can help young women excel academically, maybe because they feel more confident and secure about themselves and their place in the world
- Can help young women better determine what a healthy relationship with their own partner might be like, since they often use the relationship with their father as a model
- Can help girls learn to be more assertive, communicate more clearly and be unafraid to express their emotions
Your ex may be letting her anger at your breakup color her perceptions of how you’d be as a father, but you don’t have to step out of the picture at her behest. A paternity action can secure your legal rights as a parent and help you positively influence your daughter’s life from the moment she’s born.