Opinion

DANA PERINO: Five important lessons from my father for every proud girl dad

A good father does not just protect his daughters from the world. He becomes a safe place when the world is too much

By Dana Perino Fox News

Published June 20, 2026 9:00am EDT

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Well, this is a first for me: Father’s Day without my father, Leo E. Perino.

My dad died in his sleep at the end of May 2026, just 29 days after retiring. He was 79. The guy loved to work. And he loved his daughters. He was a wonderful girl father to two girls.

Friends of mine who are now girl dads amaze me. I think they’re very good at raising their daughters, so they don’t need advice from me. But here are five things my dad did that made a difference in my life and played a role in my success and happiness.

FATHERS PLAY CRUCIAL ROLE FOR DAUGHTERS’ MENTAL HEALTH, SONS’ SCHOOL BEHAVIOR, STUDY FINDS

1. Early and consistent reinforcement of equality. Angie, my younger sister, and I were born in the 1970s. That was the beginning of the "girl power" movement. My dad never preached about equality. He just lived it. He regularly and consistently told us that girls could do anything they wanted to do,........

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