What you need to know as your little girl becomes a woman

Lots of women remain "daddy's little girl" for life, but when your daughter starts reaching puberty, she may suddenly find herself lost in a quagmire of bizarre emotions, needs and changes that you just can't understand. How can you make your daughter's transition to adulthood as easy as possible?

First, it's time to get over the embarrassment. Whether you have a spouse or partner around to help or you're a single father going it alone, you need to be able to talk frankly with your daughter about her feelings during this time in her life. When she gets her first crush or her first boyfriend, give her a guy's perspective on what will make him worthy of her time and attention. Dad's view on the other men in her life will be a very valuable resource she can turn to when she's looking for "the one."

And stop being so squeamish about the drugstore – it's fine to walk in and buy her tampons if she needs you to. No one will judge.

As a father, you may not be able to understand everything your daughter is going through as she reaches adulthood – but that doesn't mean you can't be there for her as a friend, mentor and guide when she needs you.