Thinky thoughts

I read various blogs and one thing I've seen repeated is the theme that in order for girls to grow into having high standards in mate selection and treatment they need to be treated well and told/shown their own worth by their fathers. The term daddy issues is thrown around quite freely. What I don't understand is why is it always the daddy? Do girls not absorb messages of their inherent worth when the bearer of those messages is a mother, grandmother, aunt, or female of some sort? What about if daddy isn't in the picture but uncle, grandaddy, older cousin, older brother, play uncle, or some style of manly figure who shows concern and is active in a girl's life.

I think the nuclear family method of child rearing is myopic and the theories that spring from it aren't telling the whole story.  Children who are well cared for and have a good sense of their own awesomeness tend to not settle whether they be male or female and that message comes in many forms from many people. If it were only effective from biological parents adopted kids would be out of luck from jump street. I believe the widening of the idea of family not narrowing it would do everyone good. Not having all the pressure on one or two people to fulfill every need and giving a child more outlooks and the gift of a variety of experiences and views. The breakdown in extended family bonds has robbed children of the connection they used to have with their heritage, a living link to the past to learn from while moving into the future.

Luckily no one is predetermined to stay exactly where they were set, so there is always a chance to grow and learn.