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Where's the Love?

Friday, September 10, 2004

OK, now I've really had it and, as a dad, I have to let off some steam!

Thursday's Wall Street Journal (search) has an article on dads afraid to hug their daughters. I kid you not! Political correctness has gone so far that a lot of dads want to cool it on hugs. That they're afraid the physical contact will be misconstrued.

What?

Since when is hugging your kid politically incorrect?

Look, I'm Italian and I'm a hugger. It comes with the territory. I'm a moosh and, for my daughter, probably an embarrassment. But you know what? I don't care. And all you dads out there, you shouldn't care either.

Since when is it bad form to give your little girl a big hug? Have we become so jaded that even the bond between a father and his little girl looks a little weird?

I'll tell you what's weird: The society that's created cold, callous, indifferent, emotionless freaks of nature thrusting their distorted views of family life on the rest of us. Just where are these guys' heads? Up a place that's very dark, I suspect. I don't know about these guys, but I live in a house, not a petri dish.

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Look, I'm not saying French kiss your little Sophie at her softball game. But I am saying that if she hits a home run, go ahead and hug her. Go ahead and let her know you love her.

Are we so emotionally constipated that we've given common sense the runs?

Writer Jeff Zaslow talks about the dad who no longer kisses his 9-year-old when he tucks her into bed. In fact, he won't even tuck her into bed, saying that he wants to end her dependency on such physical contact.

Here's what I'd tell this dad: "Hey, gavone! You think that's helping her?"

Look, I admit: I cry at Kodak commercials. And I totally embarrassed my daughter dropping her off at college and shouting, "Let me know if you need anything, schnuggems!" Then adding one final humiliation by yelling, "Now give your dad a big hug!"

OK, so I'm an embarrassment and I'm a nut. But I'll tell you what: I'm a nut who cares. I'd much rather let my daughter know I'm over the top, than under the radar.

Life will be tough enough for our kids when we dads are long gone. I don't see anything wrong letting them know we're there for them every step of the way, before we are.

Watch Neil Cavuto weekdays at 4 p.m. ET on "Your World with Cavuto" and send your comments to cavuto@foxnews.com

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