Trust
“If we really want our girls to be safe, then we should start right now to TRUST HER and build up her strength and savvy — the very things that will best serve her in protecting herself. Withholding our trust in her undermines her trust in herself, and makes it that much more difficult for her to develop the inner strength she needs to make her way around the world when we’re not there.” That is Joe Kelly, master of the Dads and Daughters website and as thoughtful, articulate and sensitive a guy as you’ll meet anywhere on the Web. It was part of an exchange on the site’s mailing list, too long to reprint, but I saved an excerpt here if you want to read more.