The title is, in itself, a true epitome of the book. But what does it mean to be a strong father in today’s context? From what the book suggests, it means not giving in to a permissive environment and being able to set rules for your daughter—rules she must not break while living in your house. And being aware, too, that this does not diminish the love your daughter feels for you, even if, at the moment, she shouts at you or sulks. The central idea of the book is that a daughter’s first love is her father, and he must earn that love day by day. You are your daughter’s hero, Dr. Meeker tells the parents who read her book in countless ways. And this is important because the kind of father she is will influence the kind of husband she chooses.
In this sense, the author is relentless with the prevailing permissiveness: she has known (a large part of the book is dedicated to narrating real cases from her practice) too many cases of depression, suicide, or irreversible illness caused by early sexual initiation to take things lightly in this regard. She even goes so far as to describe depression as a sexually transmitted disease, which is one of the boldest claims in the book.
Of course, it is not just about setting rules: you have to be a father, not a legislator. It is about spending time with your daughters, even at the expense of things that seem very important. And without worrying about whether they will like it, because it is a “man’s thing”: girls enjoy being with their fathers in any way—taking them to football, on bike trips, washing the car… And always showing them that if you are their hero, they are also the love of your life.
It is worth noting that the original title is Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters. The fact that Spanish editors preferred “happy” instead of “strong” could spark an interesting debate.