Recently, a surprising study from a Polish university revealed that fathers with daughters live longer. Even more interesting is that the extended lifespan is also impacted by the number of daughters a father has.  What about sons?  Nope, sons have little effect on a father’s life span.

Having raised two sons, I doubt that conclusion.  My sons are awesome men, but raising them may be one reason I have less hair on my head.  Teenage boys have that effect.

Yet, according to this study, daughters add 74 weeks to a father’s longevity PER DAUGHTER! Since I have three daughters, that means an extra 222 weeks of life or 4.2 years!  Thank you, Ladies!

At first, I found this hard to believe. When I think about the first time my daughters drove alone, their first date, or the day they left for college, I imagine every father might wonder how these anxious moments could extend his lifespan. I remember many sleepless nights, emotional tantrums about absolutely needing whatever was the most popular thing of the day, doors slamming, and the frustrating way they hollered, “DAAAD!”

But the more I pondered the impact daughters have on a father’s lifespan, the more I began to understand why these feminine bundles of joy might indeed lengthen my life. So, I thought I’d explore possible reasons for this correlation. 

1. Every father will tell you that one of the most incredible things about daughters is how they adored you when they were little. They rushed into your arms with angelic delight and demanded that you watch everything they did and listen to everything they said. In other words, a father is the first man a daughter falls in love with. This leads to a lifetime of trust; they can always rely on Dad.  Such unconditional affection provides meaning and purpose to a father’s life.
2. Every father enjoys holding their young children in their lap to read them a story or to cuddle. And daughters are champion cuddlers. Yes, that’s it. Cuddling has life-extending effects on a man with daughters.
3. Only daughters can look into their father’s eyes and turn him into mush. I recall gazing into the eyes of my baby girls, seeing their smiles, and becoming a puddle of delight.  Apparently, science agrees. Brain scans of fathers of young girls showed a stronger response to their daughters’ happy facial expressions in the areas of the brain that controls visual processing, reward, emotion regulation, and face processing. More so than fathers who have sons.  
4. Girls are easier to potty train. While not totally free of stress, it is far less stressful than teaching boys how to aim and fire.
5. Daughters are the only ones who can get their fathers to play dress-up. Who can argue that playing dress-up with his daughters doesn’t have a life-giving, life-enriching, life-strengthening effect?
6. Daughters inspire their fathers to be better husbands.  I was always aware that loving their mother showed them how a lady should be treated. You become the standard by which they will judge all men.  The greatest thing a dad can do is to love their mother.  The most humbling comment I have ever received is when my teenage daughter told me she wanted to marry a guy like me.  A happy home is a blessing that helps the heart live longer.
7. Daughters will eventually outgrow a dad’s lap, but never his heart. A father will spend the rest of his days looking forward to hearing their voices. When their adult daughters call to check on their dad or to chat about life and how the grandchildren are doing, they have no idea how such conversations impact their dad. Daughters may be adults now, but such talks for a father are much like the cuddles he received from a young daughter. Those conversations nourish a father’s soul.
8. A father is often accused of being wrapped around their little girl’s finger.  Guilty as charged. Yes, call it an inability to say no to a human being you created or an expression of your genuine, pure, selfless, undying love for one’s sweet offspring. Who knew that, in my case, being wrapped around three little girl fingers had life-lengthening properties?  Daughters have the innate ability to soften their daddy’s heart.  And in my case, they helped me become a better man, too.
9. Fathers tend to be more protective. I was protective of all my children growing up. Sons and daughters never fully realize what a father does behind the scenes to protect them. But dads usually feel more protective of their little princesses. Maybe this role of protector is what helps extend a father’s life. Years after one of my daughters graduated high school, I remember asking a young man why he never asked her out on a date. This guy was the school’s star athlete and had a bad dating reputation. He confessed that every time there were activities at school, he noticed that her mother and I were there. Our constant presence signaled to him a strong parental involvement, and he shied away from girls whose dads were “always around.” My daughter may not have liked it at the time, but I smiled and found deep satisfaction in the fact that merely being involved helped shield my daughter from young men with less than honorable intentions.
10. 10. Years ago, I remember telling a male suitor I considered each of my girls like a Stradivarius violin — a priceless masterpiece.  And when a young man takes her out, I have this overwhelming sense that I’m handing that priceless violin to a gorilla. So, yes, I expect her to be returned after your date in the same condition. Sometimes, I might even mention, “I’ve been to prison, and I don’t mind going back.” So, it occurs to me that having daughters adds so much more joy to a father’s life, he can’t help but live longer because he’s having so much fun raising them. At least I never sat on the front porch with a shotgun on my lap…like one of my sons did.

As a father with a lifetime of memories to cherish, with more being added daily, I cannot place a value on the gift of my daughters’ love.  Has having daughters lengthened my life?  Maybe.  Has it made life more enjoyable and precious?  Absolutely.  If I live longer than most men, one might first give credit to eating right, daily exercise, and good genes.  But…

One thing is sure — while having daughters may or may not add more days to my life, they have most certainly added life to my days.  Not a day goes by that I do not think of my children (daughters and sons) and whisper a prayer for them — and never underestimate the power of a father’s prayer.  I delight in knowing that no matter the sands left in my hourglass, my life is richer because they are in it.  Watching my girls, whom I once held in my arms, become compassionate, strong, beautiful, and amazing women of faith magnifies the joy of my life. 

Daughters are one of life’s greatest blessings. My daughters should know that such memories will be cherished forever.  

And so will those of my sons.