Involved dads have more than just a positive influence on their daughters' social lives.
New research shows that a father's presence in the home can even affect when girls enter puberty. In contrast, daughters from homes where fathers were either absent or dysfunctional experienced puberty relatively early. The study of 173 girls from Nashville and Knoxville, Tennessee, and Bloomington, Indiana, began when daughters were registering for kindergarten in the summers of 1987 and 1988 and concluded when the girls reached seventh grade. Here's lasting proof of the difference great dads make in the lives of their daughters. Brought to you by National PTA , from Our Children , National PTA's Magazine .