They respect them, they care about their needs and passions. They speak well of them in front of the children and others. Real fathers respect their children. Many men expect their children to respect them but don't realize that respect is a two-way street. It means honoring the physical and emotional beings that their children are.
Real fathers make a commitment to their daughters as well as their sons.
It is said that boys need a father in the house to teach them how to grow into manhood. I would argue that a girl's need for a father is just as great. Real fathers admit when they are wrong. Real fathers do not baby-sit their own children. Watching your own children is not doing a favor for your wife.