As you all know, Nina and Neal just welcomed baby girl number 3 to their beautiful family! Neal has officially become Daddy Vaid Junior! We sometimes wonder how our dad ever made it through 20 something years in a house full of 4 women, all with big personalities and long, very very long hair! Well, Neal has asked himself that question a million times and Daddy Vaid is sharing his wisdom! Here are a few lessons Daddy Vaid has learned through the years of being a dad of 3 girls – though we’re pretty sure this applies to a dad of any number of girls!
1. There is no designated “boy” thing in the house.
The girls will use your razors to shave their legs when they can’t find their own, they’ll use your hairbrush and leave their hair in it, and they’ll take the remote and turn on their chick flick in the middle of your football game. Deal with it.
2. They are expensive – not just college expensive, but everything expensive.
For just their head alone, they need hair ties, head bands, pins, barrettes, straighteners, curlers, driers, 10 different sprays, 10 more applications like gel and stuff, and then they spend more money on going to a salon and getting everything professionally done. Who knows why, but it is what it is.
3. Learn how to paint nails.
For the simple reason that it keeps them sitting still – while you paint them and while they dry! Oh and they may want to practice painting on your nails – it’s going to be okay.
4. Not everything they say needs fixing.
They trust you to listen, they want to talk things out without mommy pampering and smothering them but it doesn’t mean they need you to take action. Basically they want you to be there without doing anything – sounds easy right? Try not doing anything when a guy pushes her or a teacher yells at her…
5. Be her mentor in life.
As much as we dads want our little girls to follow our footsteps or do what we dream of, let them make their own decisions, they will be much happier in the long run. Daddy Vaid wanted at least one of us to become a doctor – Nina was his only hope. After trying it out and not liking it, she chose nursing and today Daddy Vaid could not be happier that she made that decision. He continues to coach and support her through her journey, as he does with Sheena and Dipti too!
6. Try not to crumble at every tear she sheds.
They know what it takes to make daddy feel bad – that pout, those tears, and those perfect words: “daddy please” or “I love you daddy” or “daddy I never ask you for anything.” Keep in mind that their mom said no for a reason or told them to ask their dad for a reason. They’re manipulating you – don’t fall for it!
7. Learn to braid hair.
With 3 of them always on the go, daddy is going to have to step in with hair duty. It might take a lot of YouTube videos and practice, but you will get it down soon (well you better) because there will always be one sitting in front of you ready to get her hair braided.
8. Be their (super) hero.
Sure for first 16 years you can pretend like they will never date a guy, never love another man more than they love you but eventually you’ll have to face the reality. When you do, show them through example what they deserve in a man (talking wayyyyy down the line). Start early with showing them love, respect, emotion, compassion, camaraderie and everything else you would want any man to show your daughter.
9. Build some Daddy respect.
While being their hero, make sure they understand where to draw the line. The Vaid girls went to Mommy for everything because they knew she would always say yes or never yell at them about much. However, there was some level of being scared of Daddy. Daddy Vaid never got mad, but when he did they all knew to go hide in their rooms.
10. Don’t ever make them feel like the son you never had.
Daughters are so special in their own way. Their love, compassion and emotions trump so much. Just as much as you can throw the ball around with them and take them to sporting events, when they want you to play dress up and have a tea party, always be just as excited about that too.
But first and foremost, love them harder than you can possibly imagine. They crave it and they’ll learn to love the same way.
